Just Friends
by AllisonWalker
Summary: After one chance Duel takes a bad turn, Kaiba finds himself becoming obsessed over the one person he'd refused to acknowledge years before. At first, Kaiba desires revenge, but the more they spend time together, the more he finds himself spiraling into something close to friendship...or maybe much more. Kaiba/Jonouchi post-canon. Co-written FINISHED
1. Chapter 1

This story was a collaborative work of three people.

Original story, writing, editing, and plot from Septima &amp; AllisonWalker.

Writing in-part by Okumori

The completed adult version is up and available on AFF, linked on my profile page.

NOW LET THIS BE DONE.

~AW

* * *

For a moment, there was no sound as the visuals of the holographic simulator disappeared, the imagery cutting out before Kaiba felt himself catch his footing again, putting a hand through his hair. Jonouchi was just as quiet, standing a few feet away, but Kaiba wasn't paying attention to him. He could only keep staring at his Duel Disk as the numbers glowed zero before he blinked, trying to adjust his sight yet achieving nothing for all his effort.

It didn't make any sense. Somehow the idiot across from him had managed to wipe the field with his Time Wizard and used Monster Reborn to wipe the rest of Kaiba's life points with a revived Red-Eyes Black Dragon. Standing in a daze, it didn't occur to him that he'd even lost until Jonouchi's voice finally broke through the silence, unsure laughter catching Kaiba's attention as his eyes flickered up.

"Wow," muttered Jonouchi, who looked exhilarated yet strangely shocked as he glanced from Kaiba to his Duel Disk and back towards Kaiba again, "I didn't expect that to happen."

He seemed unsure of what to do next. Kaiba wasn't so sure, either, if his subdued reaction hadn't made that clear already. His mind was cluttered with thoughts, trying to replay the Duel from beginning to end, yet nothing made any sense. Head aching, he wanted to take a seat somewhere, but until he had the whole mess figured out, he wouldn't be able to.

Even one of his eyes were twitching. Kaiba hadn't been sleeping well, and his whole body ached from only getting some three hours a night, but that wasn't an excuse to lose a Duel. Especially against someone like Jonouchi Katsuya, who derived his dueling victories from a deck stacked with luck and gamble cards.

It didn't make any sense. Jonouchi's deck wasn't strong enough, and Kaiba knew this for a fact; he'd done the analysis on it before during Battle City. There was no possible way for Jonouchi to have won, unless...

Unless.

No, Kaiba didn't want to even suggest to himself that he wasn't quite right. Sure, he was more tired than usual, and his mind was dashing all over from the lack of rest, but that didn't mean anything. He'd worked through exhaustion before, and losing two weeks' worth of good sleep shouldn't have wrecked him so far as to lose a Duel to someone below his own expertise.

Before he could think too much about it, though, Jonouchi's sharp voice echoed again, and Kaiba's eyes flashed up to glare at him.

"That took a long time," Jonouchi said before smirking and crossing his arms in a smug manner that made Kaiba's insides burn, "But I finally beat you. Can't call me a deadbeat loser anymore, huh? Well, that was a good match, but I got other shit to do and records to set, so I'll see you around, Kaiba."

Opening his mouth to speak, Kaiba thought about saying something smart, but he couldn't. He'd just lost. Kaiba still couldn't wrap his mind around that fact, let alone actually soak in Jonouchi's words to say a quick and sharp reply to them.

"I know it'll take you a while to get over that, but I'm sure you'll adapt. You always do, right? Later, loser!"

Then Jonouchi spun around and whooped before running off towards Domino Central. Kaiba could feel his muscles tensing up as his pride ached, but there was nothing he could do about it. Calling Jonouchi out for another Duel would do nothing, especially if he lost again, and Kaiba knew he wasn't fit to battle while his head kept hurting.

Something wet was dripping from his nose. At first Kaiba was going to ignore it, but brushing the back of his hand against it, he looked down only to find blood.

"Dammit. Of all fucking times to get a damn nosebleed..."

The weather was fucking with him. By the time he looked back up, Jonouchi was gone, and Kaiba was alone again in the back alley behind the Kame Shop, the shame of his defeat settling in. He'd have to find out a way to get back at Jonouchi. There was no way in hell he'd let that moron think he was actually a better Duelist or could call Kaiba a loser...

No, that wouldn't do. Jonouchi wasn't some gaming genius like Yugi, and he could be beat if Kaiba devoted himself to it. He'd just need to study him first.

Maybe he had underestimated Jonouchi. Kaiba could admit that much to himself. But next time he faced against him, that would not be the case. Jonouchi would not get away unscathed.

Kaiba collected himself after that last thought, calling for a car to pick him up and take him back to the mansion. Trying to see Yugi had been a bust. That was the only reason he'd even gone over to that side of town, and that was how Jonouchi had managed to run into him. If Kaiba hadn't been so damn curious about Yugi's whereabouts, the whole situation wouldn't have happened.

Yugi had gone away to Egypt again. Something about "trying to find himself with Ishizu in Cairo." His fool of a grandfather said he'd be back eventually, since he planned on continuing his dueling career. Apparently Yugi just needed time for himself.

Honestly, Kaiba didn't care too much about it. The man he'd considered at one time to be his greatest rival had passed on some time ago, and no one had even bothered to tell him about it until afterwards. If Yugi wanted to continue dwelling on the past, then that was his business. Kaiba was no longer personally invested in the boy, anyways.

Eventually a black Bentley arrived and picked Kaiba up, discreetly showing up at the back of the Kame Shop before driving towards the suburbs where the Kaiba Mansion stood. Usually Kaiba was in a rush to get home fast, but since Mokuba had left (without permission) for California, things had slowed down at home to an almost infuriatingly slow crawl.

Kaiba couldn't even remember what the argument was about. Mokuba was always fighting with him about something, and rubbing his temples, Kaiba sighed before slumping against the back seat of the car. He was relieved to have the rest of the day off, but he knew it wouldn't do him much good. His mind felt overloaded, and Kaiba knew any attempts at sleep would just end up with him staring at the ceiling for hours, since his brain wouldn't shut off from conceiving every single horrible situation possible with Mokuba being away from where Kaiba could watch him. It wasn't like the kid would be homeless in California, but there were always accidents. And kidnappings. And random crime. Kaiba shivered involuntarily, silently cursing himself. And his damn brother, for being so stubborn, but mostly himself. Smart as Kaiba was, he could be such an obstinate idiot sometimes.

But not as idiotic as Jonouchi Katsuya, but Kaiba definitely didn't want to go down that train of thought right now...

It wasn't possible to just go overseas and collect Mokuba, either. Kaiba Corporation needed Kaiba, and taking an impromptu trip to Los Angeles would only make Mokuba behave worse. He liked it when Kaiba reacted to his bad behavior, and Kaiba tried so hard to just ignore it and shame him afterwards. Mokuba could usually be reasoned with when he felt like he'd made his point, and he'd have to come back eventually, too, because of school.

It was just so boring without him.

The car was silent as it sped through Domino, leaving the more grungy side for the pristine clean that was the old money district. Kaiba Mansion had been in the family for a long time, and despite how beautiful it was, nothing about it really appealed to Kaiba Seto himself. Even as a kid, he thought the house was overbearing and ridiculously styled, but he had no desire to do anything about it.

Getting out of the car, Kaiba went outside and crossed the front steps of the house before the footman opened the main entrance, allowing him into the grand foyer where the staircase stood. He was brisk getting up the stairs, despite carrying a Duel Disk and briefcase. The only thing that let his fatigue show was how light his head felt once he reached the top; Kaiba paused for a moment as his brain flipped in his skull before he headed towards the master bedroom.

Mokuba's room stood near his, and Kaiba paused, reaching there. It was empty, of course, but that didn't stop habit. Glancing over the space, Kaiba frowned as he surveyed the empty blue bed, the comforter neatly folded on top of the mattress, and pillows fluffed on top. If Mokuba had been there, the place would have been a mess, and Kaiba knew he would have barked at him for it being so torn apart.

"_Make your bed, you heathen_," he would have said while passing along, "_And stop wearing your shoes inside_."

Mokuba didn't care about his culture's customs too much, and passing over the room feeling rather empty, Kaiba got to his own bedroom where he dumped his briefcase. Even though it was a futile effort, he'd try to sleep, anyways.

He used the bathroom quickly before undressing and pulling the curtains closed. It had been a lovely midsummer day, but Kaiba wanted nothing to do with the waning sunshine. Darkness was what he preferred, and getting under the sheets of his bed, he rolled onto his stomach before grumbling and sighing.

It could have been worse, maybe. Jonouchi could have continued on insulting him (and rightly so, given Kaiba's past behavior) or could have seen Kaiba during his embarrassing nosebleed after. Even though they were a frequent occurrence thanks to weather and the temperature changes from going indoors where it was cool, the accidents didn't stop Kaiba from feeling uncomfortably human.

"_People would have thought you were some robot if you didn't bleed so much_," Mokuba used to tease, "_It's hilarious._"

Kaiba didn't think they were so funny. Nosebleeds always happened at the worst times: halfway through meetings, on top of paperwork, during business meals, or when Kaiba was trying to drive himself home. He hardly understood them, and it was even more humiliating getting one right after Jonouchi had left him in the alleyway.

It wasn't like Kaiba could stop nature from acting up against his will, but still.

Grumbling to himself, he covered his head with a pillow, closing his eyes and trying not to think about how humiliated he felt after Jonouchi laughed before leaving the alley in a dash. Jonouchi was smart for not sticking around; now all Kaiba could think about doing was getting back at him, somehow. Drawing him into a Duel and beating him down until Jonouchi never thought of challenging him again.

On the same token, Kaiba couldn't keep his mind straight. His temples throbbed, and everything felt sore and uncomfortable. His eyes even stung when he _wasn't_ staring at a computer screen, and Kaiba knew it was from the lack of sleep. Dealing with some eye twitching was one thing, but the now-constant migraine headaches were another.

Mokuba needed to come back home already.

Looking back to days before, Kaiba tried to remember just what had set him off but couldn't quite remember. Mokuba was always being a giant brat, and Kaiba knew he didn't deal with his new attitude too well since he'd become a loud-mouthed teenager. To a certain degree, he knew it was going to happen, and Mokuba was going through the typical growing pains, but it was wearing him out.

Changing position again, Kaiba turned onto his back and sighed before combing through his hair anxiously. Mokuba was just so stubborn. Once he set his mind to something, there was no way to stop him. Kaiba smiled a little at the similarity, but dealing with it head-on was not fun. Maybe one day it would help Mokuba in the business world, having that kind of ferocity dealing with pushy insubordinates, but right now it was wearing Kaiba out.

There was no way on earth Kaiba was going to fall asleep. But closing his eyes, he tried all the same.

* * *

"You lost a Duel?"

Sitting across a long table surrounded by his Board of Directors, Kaiba just shrugged at the question before looking across the room. He knew he was being escapist, but dealing with the inquisition over his dueling record of all things wore his patience thin, and just ignoring their stern gazes made things better than actually letting them think he gave any of their words a second of thought.

"Kaiba-sama lost an unranked match against Jonouchi Katsuya, a semi-professional Duelist who placed third in the Battle City finals," informed one of the men, "He's very good."

"So good he ruined Kaiba-sama's record," another man snorted. "I thought only one player could do that. What if people lose faith in the company because of this? We could be potentially ruined if we don't do something to cover this scandal up!"

'Scandal'? Kaiba would hardly call his loss a scandal. More like a mishap—something he hadn't foreseen happening—but it could be fixed. He didn't know why the Board liked becoming frazzled over such silly things as card game Duels when the company was already quite secure now without Kaiba's constant campaigning, but a few of the old fools were probably still paranoid of failure.

"Hardly anyone knows about this Duel," Kaiba finally interrupted, flashing his eyes across the room before sitting one of his legs up against the other, trying to become more comfortable in his seat. No doubt he'd be stuck there for a while. "It wasn't a ranked match, and no one cares about who Jonouchi Katsuya duels. He's just another no-name professional wannabe."

"You said that before, Kaiba-sama, but he was third place in your last tournament and second for Duelist Kingdom, not to mention top eight in the city finals-"

"-Only because I couldn't compete, myself," Kaiba snapped, "He's gotten lucky a few times, sure, but that's no reason to overdramatize the situation. I can take care of this alone."

"Can you?" asked one of the Board members rather sarcastically, "This is the fifth time you've lost a game, Kaiba-sama. Maybe you're finally losing your touch."

"I'm not losing my touch, but thank you for your concern," answered Kaiba. The man bristled slightly before shifting uneasily in his seat, Kaiba's full gaze on him now that he had spoken up. "I haven't been feeling well, lately. As soon as I feel normal again, I'll get Jonouchi Katsuya in a rematch, and you all can go find something else to fuss over. Now please, stop wasting my time with this pointless meeting, when I have better things to be getting done right now..."

"Like trying to get your brother back?" continued the man from before, "He's been gone for weeks now, Kaiba-sama."

"Mokuba will come back when he's ready."

"He's the Vice President—he can't just disappear whenever he wants to. You placed a child in a position of authority that better men could have filled-"

"-I placed my brother where he could help me keep myself from being surrounded by social-climbing yes-men," replied Kaiba harshly. The man promptly shut his mouth, his lips tight as he frowned. Everyone else just looked uncomfortable. "Like I said before," continued Kaiba, "When Mokuba's ready to return, he'll come back. Until then, we'll all make do without him.

"Now unless there's something dire I need to know about from any of you, I'd like to adjourn this meeting so I can get some real work done."

Everyone looked around uneasily, moving their papers around while one man coughed. The only woman in the room collected all her things and placed them away into her leather briefcase before everyone else followed suit, apparently taking her cue to prepare to leave.

"Good. I'll be in my office if someone changes their mind."

Kaiba was quick to get up before anyone could address him, marching across the room and disappearing down the hallway until he reached his own private office. Thankfully, it was protected by his overbearing personal assistant, whose desk stood outside of his door, successfully keeping out anyone who hoped to waste some of Kaiba's time with pointless talk. Isono took his job very seriously, and Kaiba was grateful for that.

Sitting down at his desk, Kaiba dropped his elbows and tugged at his hair, grumbling aloud before releasing a long, frustrated sigh. Despite trying to sleep earlier than usual, he still only managed a few hours of rest, and his eyes still burned while looking into the lights of his computer screen. His meeting with the Board didn't help, but at least they weren't Gozaburo's old men. He'd thrown them out a long time ago after they'd tried selling the company to Pegasus, but still. Kaiba wasn't quite over that betrayal, even if he had completely new people to bother him every other day...

They still doubted Kaiba more than he would have liked. As if he hadn't already shown several times before that he knew what he was doing and didn't need people second-guessing him...

But if they didn't second-guess him at least every once in a while, they'd just be the yes-men he had referred to moments before.

The more Kaiba thought about about it, the more he wanted to pull all of his hair out.

Mokuba wasn't going to come back anytime sooner. Kaiba was sure of that much. The company wasn't suffering due to his absence, since he was still very young and didn't have an overwhelming amount of work on his shoulders, but Kaiba certainly could feel the difference. He felt utterly alone, almost abandoned. There was no one in the office he could truly trust, and that put his nerves on edge as he opened up his laptop and started looking through the Dueling Network Database.

Jonouchi Katsuya had six out of eight stars in his rank with a new (and long) list of dueling championships, Kaiba discovered as he scrolled through the profile. They were mostly local and regional events, but still. He was dueling hard, and Kaiba felt his mouth twitch a little when he realized that taking Jonouchi back down a few pegs wouldn't be easy.

Still, after some sleep, Kaiba was sure that he'd be able to handle a rematch. Jonouchi was prone to stupid mistakes and based his deck on gambling and luck cards, which typically were no match for Kaiba's beatdown deck. It might be a little difficult, but Kaiba was confident he'd be able to set the record straight.

As Kaiba first presumed, Jonouchi only had one minor sponsor. If Jonouchi had more financial backing, no doubt he could go farther in his career, since registration fees were very expensive, and one usually only broke even if one could place within the top three during the competition.

Jonouchi wasn't a bad Duelist. As much as it pained Kaiba to admit, he actually had a lot of potential that wasn't being cultivated correctly. Turning him into a potential rival wasn't exactly a comfortable idea for Kaiba to play around with, but being able to maintain close enough proximity to study his methods could turn advantageous.

No doubt, Jonouchi would take the offer of sponsorship if Kaiba offered it to him in person. He'd probably be proud and stubborn if someone else talked in place of Kaiba.

But still, there was more to look into first. He searched into Jonouchi's current whereabouts, finding a small mechanic shop near where Yugi used to live. According to records, Jonouchi was working part-time as an assistant mechanic, fixing domestic and import motorcycles. Kaiba snorted, feeling his upper-class snobbery getting the best of him, but he kept reading before he got carried away with it.

Apparently Jonouchi was still living in the shitty side of town, too, with his father. Now that was interesting. Moving slightly closer to the computer screen, Kaiba glanced down as he looked over Jonouchi senior, who was a construction worker with a really bad alcohol addiction and had been jailed for not being able to pay off his gambling habit. Jonouchi had bailed him out recently—which Kaiba found shocking to say the least—with tournament money.

No wonder he was broke. Frowning, Kaiba continued reading before finally closing out of the search engine. It would be easily to convince Jonouchi into agreeing to a sponsorship deal. He had barely any money and was losing what he did have to his good-for-nothing father. As much as Kaiba didn't like him, he couldn't say Jonouchi deserved such a shitty situation, and there were hardly any other Duelists more deserving of the opportunity, even if Kaiba thought his deck was shit.

Maybe he was being biased—Kaiba didn't know. All he did know was his headache was becoming too much to bear, and groaning once again, Kaiba shut down his laptop before dropping his head into his arms and trying to fall asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Driving a rental car into the bad side of town, Kaiba chided himself for letting his curiosity get away with him. As much as he was tired, Kaiba also wanted to get a look at where Jonouchi was living, and he wasn't going to chance being seen at night driving around in his favorite sports car trying to find Jonouchi's apartment building.

Using some old beater was much better. Sure, it was a crappy ride compared to the quarter-of-a-million-dollar vehicles Kaiba preferred driving, but he didn't want to risk being carjacked by street thugs. Jonouchi wasn't worth that much trouble, and parking by the curb, Kaiba looked around at the different building addresses before spotting Jonouchi's.

The place looked rundown, with weeds growing around the cement walls, but at least it appeared sturdy. Some of the other buildings looked dangerous, with rusted patios and garbage piling around the alleyways. There were street cats all over, and Kaiba swore he could hear someone singing by a window some horrible rendition of the latest popular J-pop song.

It was at least very dark in Jonouchi's corner of Domino City. Kaiba's eyes didn't hurt so much, and as he scanned his surroundings, he became acutely aware of just how shitty Jonouchi's situation was.

Buses probably didn't dare come that close with all the infamous gang activity that the district was known for. Jonouchi didn't own a car, either, so that meant he probably had to walk through the worst part of town just to get to his job in central. If he wasn't such a rude idiot, Kaiba would have felt a little bad for him.

Oh well.

Putting the car off brake, Kaiba pressed the gas pedal before braking rather quickly as a man jumped in front of his car, yelling and swearing at him before walking away. It startled Kaiba, who only caught a glimpse of light-colored hair and a red varsity jacket before he hunched his shoulders and decided to get the hell out before someone recognized him sitting in the driver's seat. If Jonouchi came out of nowhere like the man in red had, he would be screwed. As if Jonouchi wouldn't approach him for hanging around his apartment suspiciously at night.

When Kaiba thought about it, he didn't even know why he was there. It was a stupid waste of time, spying on someone whom he never before even wasted a second on unless there was some amusement to be had out of bothering him. Jonouchi was a nobody, but now he was a nobody who had beaten Kaiba at his favorite game, and like hell if Kaiba would let that offense slide anytime soon.

Kaiba would figure him out. But hanging around his yakuza-ridden neighborhood probably wasn't the best way to do it. Although the internet research was limited, Kaiba knew he had a lot of the information he wanted to know already. Jonouchi wasn't very secretive about his business, and his mother worked out of Tokyo for a medical office, while his sister was in a private school. It was easy enough to figure out.

Jonouchi's alcoholic-in-remission father was a bit more tough to figure out, but even he had records. Mostly reports from the police over disturbing the peace and being an obnoxious drunk, but there was some interesting stuff like petty crime in it, too. Kaiba even found some satisfaction out of finding Jonouchi's own criminal record from back in middle school, but he didn't think it would help him any to bring it up. Jonouchi didn't get as riled up over dumb shit like he had years before.

Sighing, Kaiba put his car into drive, backed out of the street, and drove off towards the suburbs again. The ride home was at least quick. Domino wasn't as heavy with traffic like Tokyo was at night, and Kaiba sped quickly towards Kaiba Mansion, his mind rapidly processing the night's newly-acquired information.

Jonouchi, to put it simply, lived in a shit-hole. And at twenty-one years old, he still lived with his father. Jonouchi should have had enough money from tournament winnings to ditch the gang-infested neighborhood and live on his own, which meant it was his father keeping him there. Which meant that Jonouchi was likely the breadwinner, and either things with his father had gotten better, or Jonouchi felt some misguided responsibility towards the old man.

It figured. Jonouchi always did have a bleeding heart, and that trait had always kept him as second-best. The idiot just didn't know how to put himself first.

Kaiba scowled as he brought the rental around to the garage, tossing the keys to an attendant. Throwing his overcoat onto the back of an armchair, he stomped upstairs, tugging his tie loose and flopping onto his bed.

He wondered how much better of a Duelist Jonouchi would be had he not had all those distractions. In all honesty, Kaiba hadn't really kept track of Jonouchi's dueling stats; he had just assumed Jonouchi was at the same level he'd last seen during Battle City. But that had been years ago, and it was apparent that Jonouchi had worked hard despite his circumstances to improve.

Kaiba would have to see Jonouchi in action again. Going to a local tournament would be easy, but not being recognized would probably prove somewhat difficult. He didn't want anyone approaching him while he was trying to figure Jonouchi out, and getting any interruptions might come back to him and blow Kaiba's operation. As talented as Kaiba was at sneaking around watching people undercover, Jonouchi probably had enough experience with thugs to know when he was being followed.

He suddenly felt exhausted. His little escapade into the slums had put his body into high alert, and now all Kaiba wanted to do was pass out. Realizing he still had his shoes on (how many times had he gotten after Mokuba for this?), he mentally chided himself but decided he just didn't care enough at the same time. He toed them off lazily, not getting up from bed. He was still fully dressed, too, but he couldn't find himself caring too much about that, either. Kaiba slowly turned over and crawled up the bed, pulling the blankets over his head but not yet closing his eyes.

Kaiba felt a weight in the back of his pants, and reaching behind, pulled out his cell phone. No messages. He sighed and stared at the screen for a while, flipping through his short list of contacts until it rested on his brother's entry.

He could try calling. It would still be the morning in America. Maybe he could reason with Mokuba, since the kid had had enough time to cool down since their spat. Tell him to come home already.

Mokuba's phone number glowed brightly in the dark, burning into Kaiba's tired eyes. He sighed heavily before switching off the phone, tossing it onto the nightstand, and trying to sleep alone against the darkness of the room.

* * *

It was early morning when Kaiba woke up, his usual routine now embedded into his internal clock in such a way he always awoke five minutes before his alarm sounded. Shutting it off, he rolled onto his back and groaned for a moment before opening his eyes, the bedroom still dim from closed curtains.

Before, it didn't used to be his bedroom. The master used to belong to Gozaburo, and that thought alone made Kaiba smile when no other happy thought came to mind. His Board of Directors would probably continue nagging at him over losing the Duel, and who knew where Jonouchi was or who he'd spoken to about his win.

Kaiba could feel a headache coming on. Pressing the palm of his hand to his forehead and closing his eyes, he knew he'd probably only slept four hours at best. His eyesight hurt, and swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he slowly made his way into the bathroom to take a painkiller before he collapsed onto his bed again.

If only Mokuba would stop being so stubborn and just come back home. Kaiba tried recalling the incident, but his brain felt so jumbled. He couldn't have been that bad to him. Mokuba was probably being overly sensitive or just acting out some kind of teenage angst—Kaiba wasn't sure which it was, or maybe both. Whatever Mokuba was dealing with, he just wished Mokuba would stop and come back before he dropped from exhaustion and worry.

That wouldn't happen, though. Mokuba would return before then, and lifting out of bed, Kaiba forced himself to go through his morning routine despite how horrible he felt. It would take him at least an hour to get through showering, washing his hair, blow drying it, and styling it the way he wanted before getting dressed and arriving downstairs for his breakfast.

Mokuba laughed at him for his more effeminate habits, like Kaiba's vanity-driven hair rituals. At least he did his own hair, unlike his teenaged brother, and at the chance of being photographed or videotaped, Kaiba refused to look unkempt and unpresentable.

It was just such a pain to deal with when his eyes were red and his face looked pale from being unwell. Kaiba narrowed his eyes when he looked at himself in the mirror, then dropped his head into his hands.

Kaiba refused to wear makeup unless he was going on camera. Although that morning, from looking at himself in the mirror, he certainly thought he needed some. The skin under his eyes was dark and haggard, and it didn't help at all that Kaiba needed to shave, too. He frequently got facial hair by the next morning, ever since he turned seventeen, and groaning from frustration, he stripped out of his clothes before stepping into a steaming hot shower.

It would dry out his skin some, but Kaiba didn't care. He focused solely on washing his hair, using overpriced shampoo and conditioner before rinsing and stepping out to shave his face. Unlike the other guys he knew, Kaiba was methodical with a razor. Not since the first time he had ever used one had Kaiba nicked himself with it, and giving himself the closest shave possible thanks to his active OCD, he washed his face before getting into his boxers and working on his hair.

When Mokuba was younger, he used to watch Kaiba work through his routine. He used to make silly comments about it as Kaiba rolled his eyes, but now the silence was just deafening. Turning to look at his empty bed, Kaiba didn't finally check his cell phone until he was done blow drying his hair, finding his inbox empty.

It was happening too frequently for comfort. Mokuba hadn't bothered to communicate now for well over a week.

Staring at the blinking screen, Kaiba thought about just giving up and apologizing. Giving Mokuba whatever silly satisfaction he was looking for, if only to return the peace. His sleep was worsening, and Kaiba could feel his eyes burning from the glow of the cell phone lights before he blinked and felt his face cringe from discomfort.

"I shouldn't have to be doing this. He knows better."

Mokuba was just so stubborn.

Placing the phone down, Kaiba left it on his mattress as he got dressed. He wouldn't allow his younger brother to get the best of him (or at least know he was winning), and after getting his briefcase, Kaiba stepped out before slamming the door behind him.

Unfortunately for the staff at Kaiba Corporation, Kaiba's mood hadn't improved throughout the day. He canceled the majority of his meetings, just hiding out in his office while fumbling through emails and going through the many reports his division directors had sent him. They were dense enough that it took most of Kaiba's time to get through them, emailing back his response to budget proposals and disapprovals over certain projects that hadn't gone according to plan. He also tried to remember to encourage his staff, since Mokuba said he didn't do it enough like he should, but Kaiba could hardly think of anything positive to say when his head felt like it was splitting into two.

It would have felt so good to just sleep on his desk. Forget the rest of the day and try taking a power nap through lunch, but that would be a poor idea. Kaiba didn't want to risk his executive assistant walking in on him, in case he stared snoring.

Twirling his chair around, Kaiba looked out onto the Domino City skyline. The city was bustling with activity, and he thought he saw crowds of people congesting through Main Street, but he wasn't quite sure.

Summer always brought dueling tournaments to Domino City. Some of them were sponsored by Kaiba Corporation, but others had outside influences and small cash prizes that brought the professional Duelists out to compete. Although Kaiba himself didn't plan on playing, the idea of watching was at least more appealing of an idea than continuing his way into getting a migraine.

Buzzing his assistant, Kaiba paused before making up his mind.

"I'm taking the afternoon off," he declared, rubbing his temples before letting out a deep sigh, "If you need me, call my cell phone. And cancel my appointments for tomorrow; I don't plan on coming in."

"Yes, sir. Anything else I can do for you, Kaiba-sama?"

Kaiba took a second to think over that, closing his eyes as he brushed his bangs back with his fingers, "Get me an appointment in with my doctor tomorrow morning and don't let anyone into my office while I'm gone. That's all."

"As you wish, sir."

It was going to be ridiculously hot outside. Kaiba strolled out of his office in all black, carrying his briefcase in his right hand before shutting the door behind him. His assistant just glanced at his direction before falling back to work, not losing a beat on typing away as Kaiba waltzed out, on a mission.

The air was heavy and the sun was beating down on the city as people tried to find cover from the heat. Even Kaiba, who generally didn't let the weather get to him, found it rather unbearable, choosing to ignore the outdoor Duels for the relative comforts of the Kaiba Land Dueling Arena he had created a few years ago. It had been leased out for competition again, and Kaiba found himself the center of attention as he crossed through the crowds to get into his own theme park, cutting the line as he used his CEO status to get instant access.

There were at least several hundred people inside the park, if not near a thousand. Kaiba couldn't keep count. He could tell from the crowds of children that most of the visitors weren't competing, but inside the arena, he was pleasantly surprised by what he saw.

Two hundred contestants from all over Domino City fighting for the local-level Domino City Championship. Stealing a copy of the roster before finding a seat far back in the bleachers where no one would spot him, Kaiba glanced through the names, his eyes merely scanning as he snorted.

Insector Haga, that was hardly surprising. Kaiba wasn't even sure if he should consider him any good now that he'd been beaten so many times, but at least the kid still had the spunk to keep trying. Shitty attitude or not.

There was also Dinosaur Ryuzaki, Kajiki Ryota, Esper Roba, and "Ghost" Kotsuzuka, with Mai Kujaku acting as host. Kaiba couldn't even recall the last time Mai had won any sort of major tournament since before Duelist Kingdom, but maybe the sponsors just wanted someone attractive on stage to appease the girl-starved fan nerds.

Whatever.

Kaiba just hadn't counted on seeing Jonouchi Katsuya's name on the roster, too, for some reason. His eyes widened before narrowing back into their usual scowl, his jaw tightening as Kaiba crumpled the paper and tossed it.

Looking at the scoreboards, it appeared like Jonouchi was currently one Duel away from winning the damn tournament, too.

Damn the fool and his gamble cards. Jonouchi was the last person on earth Kaiba had been hoping to see, but at least it gave him a chance to study his deck. Unlike some of the amateurs, Jonouchi seemed to finally find balance between his monster, magic, and trap cards, having memorized them all and using their power to their best potential despite being rather cheap, in Kaiba's opinion. He didn't like Jonouchi's strategy, but he could no longer say it wasn't effective.

Hell, he couldn't even talk down on Jonouchi anymore and call him a shit Duelist. Not only because of what happened in Battle City, but having lost a Duel himself to the dweeb, Kaiba felt silly whenever the desire to insult Jonouchi came over him. Yes, the guy was still an idiot (mostly), but he was now the third-best Duelist in the world―and had beaten Kaiba once.

Thankfully in an unranked match, but it was still a Duel.

Jonouchi had appeared on stage―for all intents and purposes―confident. He waved at the crowd and had his signature stupid grin on his face before turning more serious. The competitor he was facing was an up-and-coming female Duelist from eastern Domino, and they traded their decks to cut their cards before returning them for the actual match.

They both played well. The girl (she couldn't have been older than seventeen) had lots of solid dragon cards and great power boosters, but once Jonouchi played his Dragon Capture Jar and Jinzo, she got stuck. It was a steady decline after that, as Jonouchi blew away her life points and weakened her monsters with his own trap and magic cards, and he'd won with twenty-one hundred life points out of four thousand still intact.

Kaiba huffed. Mai came on stage to present the trophy, and they both looked pleased, standing up there waving like idiots: Jonouchi raising the gold cup in the air just as Mai reached over and kissed him on the cheek.

Blech.

Turning away, Kaiba sat up and dusted his pants before grabbing his case to disappear before anyone noticed him. The last thing he wanted to see was the nerds lip-locking on his stage as his headache started up again.

Mai might have been considered beautiful by societal standards, but Kaiba found her gaudy and fake. Nothing about her interested him, and Kaiba prefered staying away from gold-digger types, anyways.

He was crossing the hallway and had one foot out the door, thinking about calling a limo ride home when Kaiba heard his name being called. It was a male voice, familiar yet far away enough that Kaiba couldn't quite make it out clearly.

However, there weren't many people who had the gall to approach him in public (let alone yell his name without honorifics), which meant it could only be one person...

The very person Kaiba had hoped _not_ to have been seen by.

Jonouchi Katsuya.


	3. Chapter 3

"What do you want?"

Kaiba could feel the corners of his mouth twitching as Jonouchi caught up with him, standing only a few feet away as a few heads turned. He tried not to get distracted by the stares, looking down at Jonouchi's smirking grin before putting his briefcase down and crossing his arms against his chest. Knowing Jonouchi, it would probably be a while before their little confrontation would be over.

"I just didn't expect to see you here," Jonouchi said, putting his hands on his hips and smiling wide. "So has the shock from our last little encounter worn off yet, or should I still be watching out for men in black and sleeping with one eye open?"

"You tell me," Kaiba spat back, "Do I have a reason to be calling my security over right now or will you buzz off on your own?"

He didn't give Jonouchi a chance to answer. Picking up the handle of his briefcase, Kaiba turned heel and walked right out the door, leaving Jonouchi behind. It was highly likely that the moron would just follow him, if only to be annoying, but at least now Kaiba could avoid making a scene.

No one else needed to know about how Jonouchi had humiliated him by winning in a back alley Duel. The fewer people around to hear them argue, the better.

It was just a shame that Jonouchi was so quick on his feet; Kaiba hadn't even made it down the steps to the main entry of the park before a head of blond hair caught his peripheral vision.

"Stop following me."

"I wouldn't have had to if you hadn't stormed off in a hissy fit. Hasn't anyone ever taught you that it's rude to leave in the middle of a conversation?" Jonouchi quipped, easily matching Kaiba's stride. He laced his hands behind his head and turned to stare at Kaiba.

"You barking at me isn't a conversation," snipped Kaiba back, "It's you disturbing the peace. Don't you have something better to be doing with your time right now?"

Jonouchi had just won a respectable tournament title. Surely he'd be looking to go celebrate with friends, since he seemed to like get-togethers. Usually Kaiba enjoyed his time alone after victories, but he didn't think Jonouchi was the sort of person who could appreciate the peace that came from self-company.

"Go run along now and play with your friends..."

Humming to himself, Jonouchi stared up at the sky before answering. "Nice try, but you're not gonna get rid of me _that_ easily," he laughed. He peered down at Kaiba's briefcase, drawing his vision up to note Kaiba's clothes. "And what about you? Ditching work? It's so rare for you to be outdoors before nightfall. You might just even get a tan if you're not too careful," he joked.

"How I choose to spend my time is none of your concern," said Kaiba as he quickened his pace. He shot Jonouchi a brief look, his eyes straining from the combination of sunlight and his growing headache before fixing his gaze back towards the end of the park.

He could hardly believe it. Jonouchi Katsuya, chasing him out of his own theme park. How things had changed...

But Jonouchi wouldn't relent, catching up to Kaiba and shoulder-checking him for good measure. "Hey, no reason to get all testy. I'm just trying to have a normal conversation with you."

"You have no reason to. We're not friends. Not even good acquaintances."

In fact, Kaiba could vaguely remember a time when he had tried to kill Jonouchi, back when he wasn't quite himself. Things were much different now, but still. He couldn't understand why on earth Jonouchi would be hoping to chit-chat like buddies, considering their crappy history together.

Jonouchi rolled his eyes. "God, are you still feeding yourself that bullshit? I would've figured you'd have grown tired of the taste by now," he snickered. "I can't believe you'd just say that, after all we've been through together."

"I wasn't around your company by choice, Jonouchi," Kaiba tried to counter, his face tensing up as he recalled the incident with Pegasus that led to their meeting in Duelist Kingdom, among other events, "But now that I do, I'd rather be spared the friendship speeches you might have prepared... Listening to Yugi harp on about having heart is one thing, but I'll be damned if I give you another second of my time."

"Methinks his highness doth protest too much," Jonouchi lilted, clutching at his chest in mock-offense before laughing out loud. "You're seriously one tough nut to crack, Kaiba Seto. You can't tell me you just 'put up' with us all that time."

"You think I stayed around because your company was just so thrilling?" Kaiba shot back, snorting before stopping altogether and spinning on his heel so he was facing Jonouchi directly, "Recall all the times I was dealt with you people. Can you do that?"

Jonouchi stopped as well, puffing out his chest slightly. "I don't need to. You sure hung around enough. I know you had a hard-on for Atem and all, but you must have realized we all came as a package deal. Or did that slip your genius brain?"

Kaiba could feel something in his brain tick as the words hit him, his eyes expanding and contracting before he just turned away again and left. He wasn't going to even entertain Jonouchi's theory, it hit far too close to home for comfort. Whatever Jonouchi thought he knew was grossly incorrect, and Atem had been _destined_ to be his rival. That had nothing to do with the nerd herd and how they had latched themselves to him; Kaiba's relationship was separate. It had nothing to do with any of the rest of them, outside maybe Yugi.

"You don't know what you're talking about..." grumbled Kaiba under his breath. He wasn't even sure if he was just saying that out loud to comfort himself or to shut Jonouchi up, who was once again trotting behind to stay alongside Kaiba's quick pace.

"Hey, take it easy. I was only kidding—you don't have to get so twisted about it," Jonouchi placated. "All I'm saying is, you can't deny we have a history, and that history may even include acquaintance. Or heaven forbid, friendship."

"Friendship," Kaiba parroted before turning his face to look at Jonouchi, his mouth twisted into a forced grin although his eyes did not smile, "What exactly does that entail?"

"How about you talking to me like a normal person," Jonouchi said easily, "For starters."

Kaiba's face fell.

"I'm not a normal person," he answered back, looking away, "so you shouldn't expect me to talk like one, too."

Jonouchi nudged at Kaiba's shoe with his foot. "Have you ever tried to be? It's not like I can say I'm exactly normal," he continued, scratching at the back of his head, "but it's not like it's especially hard. C'mon, I know you have it in you."

"I don't even know what 'normal' is anymore. I've never seen it in my life.

"Now if you don't mind, I do have people today I need to speak to that aren't _you_."

That was actually a bald-faced lie, but Kaiba had such a poker face, he doubted Jonouchi would figure that out. After canceling all his appointments for the day and the following to rest, the only person Kaiba really needed to talk to was Mokuba, who refused to speak to him. There wasn't much that could be done about that until the kid decided to get his head out of his ass, so Kaiba just settled for taking some time off...maybe hide in his private home office and work on some projects to pass the time and get through his more frequent headaches.

"Your life is an appointment book. Reschedule them," Jonouchi smirked.

"No."

Jonouchi whistled low underneath his breath. "Fine, fine. Well if the big Kaiba doesn't want to play, then maybe the little one will," he remarked, taking his cell phone out from his back pocket and flipping it open.

"Are you trying to threaten me?"

"How is calling Mokuba a threat?" Jonouchi asked exasperatedly as he scrolled through his contacts. "Unlike you, your brother at least appreciates '_friendship_.'"

"He's also in California currently, so good luck reaching him at this hour."

Jonouchi paused, his hand halfway to his ear. "Oh? Why's that?"

"Business."

Snorting, Jonouchi pocketed his phone, "It figures he takes after you." He released a big sigh before turning his sights back onto Kaiba. "So I guess you're stuck entertaining me," he said, plastering an obnoxious grin on his face.

Kaiba just stared at Jonouchi for a second before his face twitched. How Jonouchi came to that conclusion, he didn't know. It wasn't logical.

"I'm not required to spend time with you. You're not my brother."

Jonouchi cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, you consider spending time with a sibling a _requirement_? Makes me feel sorry for the kid," he sniffed.

"Whatever. Stop picking at my words and fuck off already..."

Making a quick hand motion towards Jonouchi's general direction, Kaiba just waved his presence away before changing direction and walking towards a lesser-known Kaiba Land exit. He couldn't take anymore of the sun beating down on them while Jonouchi continued to pick at him, and Kaiba wished he had enough sense to call a car to pick him up instead of having to walk all the way back to the office to drive his own back home.

He didn't want to go back to Kaiba Mansion. The old house felt like a crypt, and who knew, maybe Jonouchi would get the genius idea of following Kaiba there, too.

Wouldn't surprise him, at this point.

Jonouchi stood stupefied as he watched Kaiba's retreating form. Sure, he was used to Kaiba blowing him off—he'd always stood on the periphery of their social circle, floating in and out as he saw fit—but it wasn't like Jonouchi was trying to be especially obnoxious. For a moment he just stared, looking around and then back to Kaiba, his right leg bobbing on its heel restlessly.

Impulsively he took off sprinting, catching Kaiba as he neared the exit. Slowing to a jog so as to not alarm the other man, Jonouchi managed to rush ahead and stopped a few feet in front of Kaiba, blocking his path.

"Hey," he said, somewhat winded and fumbling. Now that he was here, he didn't quite know what to do with himself.

"What? Stop getting in my way," Kaiba seethed before maneuvering around Jonouchi's blockade, rolling his eyes as he heard swears coming from behind him.

Once again, Jonouchi found himself following after Kaiba, settling for walking beside him since the other seemed keen on avoiding him. "Fucking hell, Kaiba—you sure know how to make a guy chase after you," he sighed.

Kaiba merely snorted in response.

They walked for a block in silence, before Jonouchi cleared his throat. "Hey. So are you, like, hungry or anything?"

"No, and even if I was, I wouldn't eat with you for company..."

"Tch," Jonouchi glowered at Kaiba and continued, "Rude. You must be fucking starving, since you seem to be in a piss-poor mood. Well, _I'm_ hungry, and I'd prefer not to eat alone. Hell, I'll even treat."

"I don't take handouts, Jonouchi. If I felt like eating, I'd get my own food," grumbled Kaiba as he briefly gazed down at Jonouchi's face before looking up again and sighing. "Besides, can't you find someone else to irritate?"

Rolling his eyes, Jonouchi took out his phone and started playing with it. "I'm gonna ignore that first comment. And nope, why should I when you're conveniently here?" he snickered. Flipping through a few screens, his face alighted with a mischievous smirk. "Don't fight it—it's been decided. You're having lunch with me. And nope, you don't have to like it."

"...What do you think you're doing?"

Kaiba just stood there glaring as Jonouchi started laughing annoyingly, staring at his phone like it was the key to his plan. It made Kaiba want to grab it and smash it against the pavement, but he knew that would only land him in bigger trouble (maybe even blackmailed) and definitely some bad press when people talked about what they'd seen on the street.

He didn't need his Board members finding another thing to bother him with after getting over the Duel...

Jonouchi turned his phone forward, showing Kaiba the screen. "Calling Mokuba. If he's really 'out on business,' then I bet he'd hate to hear how poorly his brother is taking care of himself while he's away...even to the point of losing to the 'second-rate' Duelist," he announced smugly.

If Kaiba could have gotten away with smacking Jonouchi around on the street, he would have. Every thought in his head edged him on into doing just that, but he stopped himself since logic would dictate that that course of action was a bad idea. It would only turn around to bite him in the ass, and while Kaiba's mouth tensed up into a thin, firm line and his eyes narrowed to the point of almost hurting, he reasoned that dealing with Jonouchi's shit was better than Mokuba's disappointment.

"Fine," Kaiba nearly spat as he glared down at Jonouchi, who had a distinctive smirk on his face, "I'll eat with you, but that's it. And I insist on buying my own lunch. You couldn't afford paying for me, anyways."

"Pfft, you act as if I haven't just won prize money from a tournament. I may not be rolling in it like you, but I'm not exactly broke, either," Jonouchi huffed.

"Those are my terms. Take it or leave it."

"Fine," Jonouchi concurred, trying to pacify Kaiba and hoping that the man wouldn't be such a bear after he'd gotten some nourishment in him. Jonouchi eyed his companion up and down—from the looks of it, Kaiba likely hadn't eaten anything good in days. His skin seemed dull, and his normally form-fitting clothes hung off his frame, as though he'd lost some weight. Huh. Probably just being his workaholic self again…

He stared at the shop fronts around them as they ventured further downtown. "So, what do you want to eat?"

"Whatever, I don't really care. As long as it's not junk food."

"I'll eat just about anything," Jonouchi remarked, "So since you seem to be the picky one, you decide."

"You're the one forcing me to eat with you," snapped Kaiba before shaking his head in irritation, "You decide. Or I'm bailing, blackmail or not."

Jonouchi snorted in response, but a grin betrayed his amusement. "Alright, then no complaining. How about curry—you look like you could use a heavy meal," he said, reaching out to pinch and tug at the back of Kaiba's shirt in demonstration.

Quick to react, Kaiba smacked Jonouchi's offending hand away before making a face of slight offense, "What the hell is that supposed to mean? I haven't been feeling well, but I'm not that terrible looking- Just shut up already and go find this stupid restaurant..."

The possibility that Kaiba might look anything but perfect at any second of his public day was unsettling in his brain, the idea taking form before he broke out in a slight panic. His thoughts didn't betray his cool exterior, but in his head, he could feel a mix of emotions rushing through him as his muscles tightened from tension.

Who was Jonouchi to judge him, anyways? He didn't even look fit for outdoors half the time, thanks to his second-hand clothes and lack of a hair cut...

"Relax, princess," Jonouchi chuckled, "not a hair's out of place. You look like you've lost some weight, though. Been skipping meals?"

"My diet is none of your concern. Are we going to eat or just stand here in the heat discussing my physique all day?"

Jonouchi started walking ahead, not bothering to check if Kaiba was following. "As fascinating as that sounds, the restaurant's just around the corner," he drawled.

Ducking underneath the noren, Jonouchi hollered greetings towards the kitchen, offering a slight bow to the older woman by the register. He chose a side table midway from the entrance, dropping into his seat lazily and eyeing Kaiba expectantly.

It was a mom and pop shop, and although the front door was wide open and electric fans blasted in the corners, Kaiba was mildly relieved that Jonouchi hadn't dragged him to some crappy chain restaurant. He entered slowly, nodding slightly to the woman while tugging absently at his tie. He slipped silently into the seat across from Jonouchi, electing to stare at the several portraits and photos adorning the walls rather than address his companion.

He felt distinctly out of place. Kaiba didn't really like dining out, when he could help it. When he did eat, it was usually in small places during strange hours of the day so he wouldn't be spotted and could eat alone in peace, or else he waited until he was at home. Kaiba Mansion had lots of house staff, including one executive chef, and Kaiba preferred relying on one person who knew his particular tastes to prepare his food.

But he wasn't really given the option now, since Jonouchi wanted to rat him out to Mokuba, who would surely use Kaiba's poor health to his advantage. Not out of animosity, but to wear Kaiba out into getting his way, more than likely.

Or guilt-trip him for not taking better care of himself...

Whichever it was, Kaiba didn't want to deal with it. He'd eventually need to really sleep, and looking quickly over a handmade menu, he made his selection to have a bowl of pork belly curry and rice, not caring if the food wasn't quite up to his station in class.

He hadn't eaten anything like that since he was a child. His mother used to make him chicken katsu whenever he begged for it, and now it just seemed so alien to eat something so simple and rather rustic.

No wonder Jonouchi chose it.

The food arrived quickly, along with water, hot tea, and a small dish of pickled vegetables. Jonouchi dug into his beef curry omelet enthusiastically, not waiting for Kaiba to start. Staring at the food apathetically, Kaiba just picked at his with chopsticks before finally trying a bite.

It was good, but he just didn't feel the urgency to eat.

Jonouchi had cleared through half of his meal before he realized that Kaiba had barely touched his food. Setting his spoon down, he leaned back in his chair and drew shapes on the condensation collecting on his water glass.

"What's wrong? Is the food not to your liking?"

"It's fine."

"So then what's eating you?" Jonouchi asked, stuffing a spoonful of curry into his mouth thoughtfully.

"Nothing. I'd have an easier time eating this if you'd stop studying me," said Kaiba as he waved his hand dramatically, "I don't usually eat this much food in one meal, anyways. I'm going to get sick from this."

"You're going to get sick from _not eating_," Jonouchi emphasized, waving his spoon around. "I bet the breeze from one of these fans could knock you over if you got too close."

Kaiba glared at that. He might have dropped a few pounds, including muscle weight, from not being as active as before, but he wasn't skin and bones. He could still function, even if he didn't feel as well as he had in the past.

"First of all, that's not true," argued Kaiba as he tried another bite of food, "and second of all, I don't see why you'd even care if that was. You don't like me. Don't pretend to, when we both know you don't."

Scowling, Jonouchi picked up his chopsticks and stabbed at a pickle. "If memory serves me right, _I_ tried to befriend _you_ in the very beginning, but you decided you were too holier than thou for friendship with us peasants."

"So what? Then you should know better than to keep trying."

Waving a finger back and forth, Jonouchi announced, "One good deed a day. I suppose you've been my project of sorts," he grinned.

Kaiba scowled in response. He had no idea what to say to that, so he just shut his mouth with food, looking anywhere but at Jonouchi's irritating smug smile. No matter what, he always seemed to look like he was so satisfied with himself, and it made Kaiba's insides boil as his patience wore away with each passing moment.

Even if he wasn't looking at Jonouchi anymore, he was still well-aware of his presence. There was a particular way he always seemed to be tapping his foot on the ground, like he couldn't keep still for a minute, and his breath seemed to catch whenever a new thought formed in his head. Kaiba was attuned to everything around him, down to scents, and Jonouchi had a particular smell just like everyone else, only stronger now thanks to the heat.

In large crowds, it was easy ignoring one person for another and allowing it all to just dull into a single mass, but being stuck with Jonouchi alone was disquieting and more of an annoyance than if Kaiba had been stuck with a group of strangers.

Jonouchi observed Kaiba actively try to ignore him before breaking into full-out laughter. "Man, you're so _serious_! Lighten up a little! Hell, _liven_ up! You always act like there's a funeral going on," he sighed, trying to quell the giggles that kept bubbling up as Kaiba's face grew darker.

"Shut it."

"Well, someone's gotta carry the conversation, since you're getting all shy on me," Jonouchi remarked, scraping the last bits of his meal off his plate. "I wouldn't have to talk so much if you'd participate. I may not look it, but I'm a great listener."

"What if I have nothing to say to you? Did you ever think of that? I don't feel like talking."

To make his sentiments clear, Kaiba quickly shoved more food into his mouth before chewing aggressively.

"Don't choke," Jonouchi muttered as he fidgeted with the rim of his teacup. He brought it to his lips and blew, staring at Kaiba over its edge. "You're gonna snap one day. I'm gonna read about some rampage at Kaiba Corp, and then you'll be crying, 'Oh, why didn't I listen to Jonouchi?'" he mocked.

Kaiba just glanced blankly at Jonouchi in response. They both knew he'd already snapped once—and _that_ had been enough—in his life. Unfortunately for Jonouchi, he'd gotten caught up in that little adventure, and preferring not to recall it, Kaiba just ate silently before sipping on his tea angrily.

All he could think about was paying the check and finally taking off. Maybe try to get some sleep, if he was lucky. The mansion had central air, and it would be easier to sleep while cool and heavy from food, and Kaiba wasn't above taking a few sleep aids.

It was the only comforting thought he had as Jonouchi continued yammering on.

Jonouchi stopped abruptly, closing his eyes and exhaling sharply through his nose. "I guess I shouldn't have bothered. You haven't changed at all."

"I could have told you that a long time ago. What exactly were you expecting? That we'd be pals after what happened during our last Duel?" Kaiba laughed darkly before rising up from his seat, dropping yen on the table before giving Jonouchi one last disapproving look, briefcase in hand.

"We're not friends. Try to remember that next time you decide to harass me in public."

And then he strolled out of there, leaving a disgruntled Jonouchi behind.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a few days after bumping into Jonouchi that Kaiba saw him again, from far away this time. He was careful not to be spotted, keeping a wide berth as he watched Jonouchi with concentrated interest. Instead of wearing his usual black get-up, Kaiba wore a plain red shirt with jeans and large sunglasses, carrying a laptop bag with a strap around his shoulder instead of the shiny briefcase he usually trudged around with.

He didn't even know why he came, but something from their last meeting just stuck with him. Kaiba wondered if Jonouchi's interest in him was genuine or something else, and the only way to figure that out would be further observation.

Tailing Jonouchi around the mall wasn't really that difficult, anyways. He seemed to frequent the same places: the mall near his bus stop, certain card game stores and hobby shops, the convenience store near his apartment, and Burger World. Sometimes he'd waste money at an arcade near Domino High School, but Kaiba refused to go somewhere where all the geek boys would recognize him.

Sitting in the food court eating chicken teriyaki and looking over his smartphone, Kaiba listened as Jonouchi spoke enthusiastically across from Kujaku Mai. They were leaning into each other, looking rather close...a bit too close, for Kaiba's liking. They talked loud and easily, enough that Kaiba could even make out their conversation from so far away.

"-Yeah, it wasn't enough money to pay off all the creditors, but I got some of it paid off. Three hundred and fifty thousand yen doesn't go as far as you'd think," remarked Jonouchi with a sigh, "At least not with my dad's spending habits."

"Is he still living with you?" asked Mai as she sipped on some drink Kaiba couldn't make out. Looked like a yuppie coffee drink that was way overpriced. "I don't understand why you take on his financial issues."

"I'm his son. If I don't, who else will?"

"Yes, exactly!"

Mai sighed loudly before running a hand through her hair. "You're just a kid. He's a grown-ass man; he should be solving his own debt problems, not his twenty-one-year-old son! It's not right for him to dump his shortcomings on your shoulders."

"It's really not that big of a deal, Mai. I got it under control."

From the look Mai was giving, it didn't seem like she believed him. Kaiba couldn't help but snort. Apparently Jonouchi wasn't the deadbeat Kaiba thought he was, at least like in the past. If Jonouchi was using most of his winnings to take care of his father, then how the hell was he caring for himself?

"Besides, I got that assistant mechanic job near my place, and it's been great. I'm getting a steady paycheck and can even afford to buy booster packs sometimes, when I'm careful. I got a bank account now, so my dad hasn't been stealing my cash when he's drunk anymore."

Mai just facepalmed at that.

"You should kick him out."

"Nah, can't do that to my old man. He's my father. I've got to take care of him. You know how it is."

Eventually Jonouchi changed the subject, and Kaiba's attention waned as he began answering emails on his phone. He could still hear Jonouchi's characteristic voice over the general roar of the food court, his accent and tone very particular to Kaiba's ears while Mai broke in between with high-pitched laughs and loud chattering of her own.

Kaiba wondered for a second if they were on a date. Hadn't they had some sort of thing during his tournament? Having not paid attention that much back then, Kaiba couldn't exactly recall, but he noticed how they talked and looked at each other. It seemed rather..._intimate._

"You know, I saw Kaiba just last week," started Jonouchi. The mention of his name broke Kaiba from his musings as he looked up from his phone and began to frown. "He was at the tournament I was competing in. We kinda had lunch together?"

"Kinda?"

"Yeah," sighed Jonouchi as he picked at his yakisoba, "I mean, I had to kinda strong-arm him to hang out with me. He's such an asshole sometimes, I don't get it. You'd think I killed his dog or something."

"I don't see why you try," Mai said, rolling her eyes in a huff, "Some people are just born miserable. You can't change them."

"I don't think Kaiba was born miserable. He was made that way. I bet he needs help."

"Good luck with that, Jonouchi. You have more compassion for broken men than I do."

Face twisting up into a scowl, Kaiba felt offended by the words, even if Mai was partially right. Sure, he had his problems. Everyone did. Kaiba just had more than the average human being, but he also had a rather unfortunate upbringing and past to go along with it—but he never saw himself as _broken_. Was he not a wildly successful business man? What a ridiculous thing to say.

Pushing his food away, Jonouchi slouched in his seat, threading his fingers together and resting them on his stomach. He looked at the stream of shoppers passing by, and Kaiba had to turn his head sharply to avoid Jonouchi's gaze.

"I dunno if I'd say he's broken, exactly… I mean, he still functions. Better than most people, at least."

"Yeah, to the point of being a robot," said Mai dramatically, "And when he's not being completely cold to the world, he's a giant psychopath. Remember when he almost let you drown? I don't know, Jonouchi—some people can't be saved. I mean, does he even want to change?

"I just feel bad for his little brother..."

Jonouchi fixed Mai with an easy smile. "Nah, are you kidding? Mokuba's his pride and joy—the one person he treats like, well, a _person_," he chuckled. "And yeah, the key thing was messed up, but he could have just let me drown, so at least he did _something_. It's not like we were bosom buddies that he'd get his clothes all wet for. With that get-up, he probably would've drowned himself," Jonouchi concluded, breaking into a short laugh.

"I still don't get it," continued Mai, "I know Yugi likes to take chances with people, but come on. I just don't want you getting hurt by him or disappointed if he doesn't change his mind about having _friends_..."

Kaiba scoffed, rolling his eyes under his shades. What did Mai know about having friends? She was almost in her thirties and had no buddies her own age to hang around with. As far as Kaiba was aware, she was a serial dater and only hung around Jonouchi and Yugi sporadically, which made her just as much of a loner as he was.

Mai was a giant hypocrite.

"Everyone deserves a second chance, Mai. Everyone." Jonouchi's voice and eyes were alight with conviction before they cooled back to normal. "I'll be fine. And besides, you and I didn't start off exactly on the right note. Hell, me and Yug' didn't either! I'm not too worried."

"Do you really think he'd change? Or that he even wants to change?" asked Mai. She sighed before sipping more of her drink, "Besides, he's boring. Besides his dueling, what else does he have going for him?"

"He's a freaking genius," Jonouchi answered. "I'm sure with all the shit he knows, there's bound to be something fascinating about him that he's been keeping a secret. Just imagine being able to pick his brain," he wondered with amazement, "He's probably got the secret to the universe figured out or some shit."

Mai laughed at that. "Don't you think you're giving him a bit too much credit? Besides, he owns a kid's gaming company. You'd think if he knew the secrets of the universe, he'd do more with it than just make toys."

"When has Kaiba ever been out to save the world?" Jonouchi snorted. "Who knows what goes on in that mind of his—and I don't think I want to find out. I'd just want him to like me for once and stop looking at me like shit's been shoved up his nostrils or something...

"Besides, Mokuba's not around, and he hasn't been looking that good. I think he's dropped some weight. Someone needs to check up on him. Might as well be me, since Yugi's no longer around."

"He's not your problem," sniffed Mai.

Jonouchi hooked his foot around an empty chair leg and started jiggling it around. "You know me—I just can't seem to leave people alone. He may not like it, but—I dunno, I'd feel kind of guilty if I didn't do anything."

Kaiba nearly dropped his phone. What, did the loser _pity _him now? No fucking thanks.

Just great. From the sound of it, the idiot would be smothering him soon with his overbearing presence. Jonouchi knew where he lived, where he worked...no place would be sacred. Kaiba would have to step up security if he was going to have any peace of mind… Or just pack his schedule solid enough where there wouldn't be any openings.

A panic began to creep over him, and Kaiba started to feel trapped.

But if he did that in his condition now, Kaiba knew he'd eventually break. His health wasn't getting any better, and with the lack of sleep, it was now taking a sharp toll on his energy levels. There was only so much he could handle.

"I hope you don't decide to spend more time with him than me, Jonouchi, or people might think something's going on between you two," joked Mai. "You know how girls get when they see two attractive men together."

Jonouchi nearly fell out of his seat. "Okay, _gross_. You girls are sick. And they call us guys the pervs…" he grouched. "Why can't you just let bros be bros?"

"I don't think Kaiba's ever going to be your 'bro,' Jonouchi," snickered Mai.

Rolling his eyes, Kaiba felt himself losing interest in their conversation quickly now that Jonouchi was squirming in his seat. Men usually didn't respond well to those kind of little "jokes," and while it didn't mean anything to Kaiba, apparently it was enough to get Jonouchi all out of whack as he continued making faces to prove his heterosexuality or whatever. Did males have to be so stupid like that all the time?

"Hey, I'm an optimist," Jonouchi declared, a cocky grin tugging at his mouth, "I bet he's actually a pretty cool guy, once you get past all the snobbery."

"What makes you so sure? He called you a deadbeat for months, and now he acts like you don't even exist... Eh. I don't even know why we're talking about Kaiba. Of all people to waste breath over, isn't there anything else more interesting going on in your life?" asked Mai as she leaned forward and smiled rather wickedly. "Any girls you've met recently I should know about?"

A blush flared across Jonouchi's cheeks. "Oh, great. You just _had _to bring up the sorry state of my love life," he grimaced, "Or should I say, complete lack of one."

He leaned forward. "How's this—there's this really hot babe I'm meeting _right now_…" he said, winking rather obviously and flashing a cheesy grin.

"Oh come on, silly, you know I don't count."

At this point, Kaiba decided to mentally block out the rest of their conversation as he focused on finishing his lunch. Jonouchi was right about one thing. He was dropping weight, and Kaiba couldn't blame it on the summer heat alone. His clothes were starting to look baggy, and his muscle tone was disappearing at an alarming rate. If he didn't bulk up soon, he knew his Board would begin pestering him over his faltering appearance.

Besides that, Kaiba didn't like looking less than perfect. He had been a lanky teenager, but after high school, he'd finally filled out into himself and started feeling less like a beanpole whenever he looked in the mirror. Having a man's body was something he prided himself in, especially since he knew he looked better than most people, and watching that suffer from lack of discipline was frustrating.

It wouldn't help his sex life, either, if he looked like a skeleton to anyone he tried picking up.

Giving out a frustrated sigh, Kaiba let his fingers sink into his bangs before grumbling to himself. Thankfully he wasn't loud enough for Jonouchi or Mai to hear (he frankly had no idea what he'd say if they had noticed him) and he could suffer his image crisis alone.

Wasn't like he'd meet anyone of interest anytime soon, anyways. Skinny little business types who all looked like cookie-cutter copies of each other carried very little appeal for Kaiba. The majority of his short-term hook ups had occurred overseas, incidentally...

"-After that last chick I was seeing senior year, I guess I just got distracted with other things. I'm not interested in dating right now. Too much stuff to take care of, like my dad's debts, my new job, dueling-"

"-And apparently Kaiba's poor life choices."

"Yeah, and that," Jonouchi laughed, "I'm not really missing out on much, so don't worry. Girls can wait."

Mai scoffed, slightly offended, "You're young. Now's the time to go out and have fun."

Jonouchi sighed. "Fun costs money. Hell, having a girl would only increase my bills! Dates are expensive shit."

Leaning forward, Mai quirked an eyebrow, a smirk twitching at the corner of her mouth. "Oh, so you can't afford a girl, yet you dump so much money into booster packs…"

"Hey! That's an investment! I'd like to go pro one day," Jonouchi sniffed.

His lunch date erupted into a fit of laughter. "And dating is an investment, too—_for a wife_," she gasped between breaths.

Jonouchi just rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, that's a long way down the road. Tournament dates, on the other hand, will not wait. Gotta keep my deck fresh, y'know?" He flipped out his phone and started typing furiously, "Speaking of which, have you seen the new ban list? It was like a third of my deck! So now I gotta find some good replacements. You mind if I make a call?"

Mai shook her head, "Go ahead. I need to freshen up in the ladies' room, anyway."

Nodding as she got up, Jonouchi punched in what was clearly a familiar number. "Hey, Jii-san, that new shipment come in yet? Oh yeah? Awesome, I'll be by tomorrow! Yeah, gotta head to work soon. Any news from Yug'? Uh huh. That's good to hear. Okay, thanks—see you then!"

New ban list? Kaiba didn't think it would be coming out so soon. Usually they held off until the end of the year, so competitors wouldn't have to restock their decks in the middle of the competing season. Sounded like Jonouchi was out of luck, but that meant Kaiba would need to check up on his deck, too.

How irritating. If he wasn't so rich, Kaiba would have complained about the frequent purchases he had to make on new booster sets. It was easier for professional players with sponsors, but for someone like Jonouchi who was supporting his own "habit," so to speak, it probably took a heavy toll on his finances.

The thought made Kaiba think... Kaiba Corporation offered sponsorships to seven-star players with national-level experience and paid out some five hundred thousand yen per month to cover gaming, competition fees, and room and board costs. There weren't a lot of people in the professional bracket who could even qualify for such a gig, because their stats weren't sponsorship-worthy, and most of the players came off as money hunters.

Jonouchi, however. Kaiba snorted. The kid would be marketable. Kaiba could sell the shit out of him, even if Jonouchi had a rather crass personality and didn't always act quite right. People would like him if he was presented to them in the right way. Besides, his rating skyrocketed after Battle City, and Jonouchi was frequently improving, having knocked out several professional players already...

It was a thought.

By the time Mai returned, Jonouchi had cleared their table and was leaning against it, idly playing with his phone. "Hey," he smiled, "I hate to cut out, but I really should be heading to the shop right now. Honda just texted—he's not feeling so well, so now I'm the only one on shift tonight."

"It's fine," she said, hooking an arm around Jonouchi's elbow. "I've got a long list of errands to take care of, anyway. Walk me to my car?"

"Sure, could you drop me by the bus stop, then?"

"Nonsense, I can just drop you off directly," Mai replied as they began to walk off.

"Well, it's not exactly in the greatest area of town…" Jonouchi began hesitantly, rubbing at his neck.

Kaiba watched as they disappeared into the crowd, a small frown on his face. Jonouchi would never be a professional Duelist if his time kept being divided by his job. Rationally, Kaiba knew it was necessary—not everyone had the luxury of possessing a sizable bank account, and Kaiba was rather impressed that Jonouchi had been able to make it as far as he had in the Duel Monsters circuit, given his mountain of responsibilities. But if a person was going to pursue something seriously, they should do it _right_. Throw oneself in with reckless abandon. _That's_ what it meant to be a Duelist.

Scowling, Kaiba wondered why he cared so much.

He told himself it was because Jonouchi had beaten him. Disregarding the circumstances, a loss was still a loss, which was unacceptable. And even more insulting, Kaiba had lost to someone who only played in his spare time.

His pride just wouldn't allow it.

But still, Jonouchi had a lot of potential. Would it be rational to ignore that because of a personal vendetta? Helping the idiot get a career going through a sponsorship would be a good investment Kaiba could later bank on, if Jonouchi actually was able to dedicate himself to the job. Sure, he didn't like the guy, but Kaiba disliked most of the people in his office, anyways. And he still employed them and even acted cordial with them, regardless of his personal feelings.

His pride, however...

Kaiba had done plenty of unpleasant things out of necessity in the past. Starting a business relationship with the idiot wasn't a very attractive idea, but Kaiba had suffered worse things. The main problem would probably be actually _getting _Jonouchi to accept the proposal.

He couldn't lie and say running Jonouchi's entire dueling career wouldn't feel a little satisfying...

A smirk slowly emerged on Kaiba's face, and as he watched the man in question begin to disappear with the crowd, he formed a plan.


	5. Chapter 5

Right after work, Kaiba had his driver drop him off right in front of the Kame Game Shop, walking in boldly with his briefcase in hand. Sugoroku looked immediately aggravated by Kaiba's presence, and understandably so. With their bad history, Kaiba didn't think the old man would want him hanging around looking at his new stock, but business was business. Surprisingly, the older Mutou did not kick him out.

But he didn't greet Kaiba, either.

Kaiba felt rather silly being there, looking at the displays of rare cards and booster packs as the old man watched him from behind the register. During work, Kaiba had looked at the ban list. Only four of his cards had been affected, and nothing that he really relied on, anyways. Sometimes it was hard being flexible, but losing a few trap and magic cards wasn't a big deal, since they could be easily replaced.

It just felt silly being inside such a dingy little shop. Usually Kaiba had his sources for cards. He had suppliers and collectors, as well as private dealers. Going into actual stores and looking around was completely unnecessary, but...

Turning to glance at the door, Kaiba scowled. Jonouchi hadn't shown up yet, but it was unlikely that he had done so earlier, either. It was a weekday, and if the loser was working full-time, he would be arriving fairly soon, probably covered in grease from his job.

He'd stink, too. Kaiba hoped Jonouchi wouldn't try getting too close to him, or god forbid, force him into eating somewhere with him again. Not with him smelling like gasoline...

Apparently, Yugi's grandfather found his dawdling unsettling, and he approached Kaiba with suspicion. "...Anything I can help you find?"

Kaiba turned to him, his expression apathetic. "Just looking," he replied tersely.

Sugoroku narrowed his eyes, but he didn't move away. The front door blew open, drawing both of their attentions. The tiny bell clanked jerkily against the glass window, the orange light of sunset flooding the shop.

"Sorry I'm late, Jii-san, work was-" Jonouchi's mouth snapped shut at the sight of the two men. "Um, am I...interrupting something?" He stood in the doorway, his body a dark relief against the pouring light. Kaiba could make out black smudges across Jonouchi's cheeks and knuckles.

Sugoroku recovered first. "Ah, no, Jonouchi-kun. Come in, come in, Kaiba was just looking around."

Jonouchi dumped his messenger bag by the door, quirking an eyebrow at Kaiba but not commenting. He instead turned to Sugoroku, brushing past the other customer to lean against the display case. "So, what d'ya got for me?" he grinned, eyes alight like a child's.

"Oh, I think you'll find the new stuff pretty interesting." The elder Mutou turned to grab some boxes from the top shelf behind him. Jonouchi made his way behind the counter to help, but Sugoroku swatted his hands away. "Not before you clean yourself up! Honestly, Jonouchi-kun, did you even look in a mirror before you rushed over here?" Sugoroku chided, setting the boxes on the countertop and tossing a rag at Jonouchi, who caught it and stuck his tongue out in reply.

"Who am I trying to impress?" Jonouchi said, rubbing his hands against the cloth.

Sugoroku gave him a withering look but made no further comments, finally releasing the boxes for Jonouchi to inspect once his hands were cleared.

Kaiba suppressed an urge to snort. He assessed Jonouchi out of the corner of his eye, wary of drawing too much attention. Jonouchi was dressed in his usual baggy jeans, which were low-slung and thinning around the knees. A plain white T-shirt clung to his torso, stained by grease and sweat, a smattering of tiny holes exposing a tanned shoulder blade. Boots replaced his usual sneakers. His hair stuck up a little around his neck.

Jonouchi was unsightly, but there was a sort of proletariat appeal to his appearance. Kaiba couldn't deny that Jonouchi looked manly and rough in a kind of way that most men tried—and failed—to pull off. With his blond hair and messy looks, Jonouchi just worked it without even trying, and that irritated Kaiba. Jonouchi wasn't even aiming to get his attention, yet he had it.

"What are you looking at?"

Breaking out of his inner thoughts, Kaiba just scowled at Jonouchi before turning his back. He didn't need to answer any prodding Jonouchi might have, and he was there to get cards. Well, that was more of a bonus to his main plan, but he didn't need to get caught checking Jonouchi out in Yugi's game store. That was just...there were no words for it.

Honestly, Kaiba wasn't sure even where to start. Distracted and tired to boot, he was barely paying attention to the text on the cards as he glanced over the various displays. He could feel Sugoroku's gaze on his back, and there was slight tension in the room that he didn't appreciate despite having caused it with his presence. Sure, he had almost killed the old man, but that was years ago. How long was he going to carry that grudge before he finally let it go?

Snorting, Kaiba picked up one card and looked at it long and hard. It was an effective trap card, with a continuous effect that required no life points to activate. The best kind of weapons to use, in Kaiba's opinion. Crush Card Virus had been made illegal, and Kaiba had always been looking for something just as effective.

"Do you want to take a look at these? They're all new," Jonouchi said, gesturing to the boxes in front of him. It took a second for Kaiba to register that Jonouchi was addressing him, turning towards him with a blank stare.

When Kaiba remained silent, Jonouchi ran a hand through his hair and sighed, "Or not. Forget I said anything." Returning to the cards, Jonouchi started to separate out little stacks from his selections. He became so engrossed in his work that it came as a shock when Kaiba stood next to him some minutes later, plucking a card out of his hand.

"This one's worthless," Kaiba declared, tossing it aside.

"Hey!" Jonouchi exclaimed, scrambling to catch the card as it teetered off the edge of the counter. "Be careful with these, will ya?" The motion created a small gust of air, blowing Kaiba's bangs into his eyes.

"Also, you smell like a garage," Kaiba deadpanned, brushing his bangs out of his face.

Jonouchi scowled at him, replacing the card to safety. "_Duh_, seeing as I work in one. Not everyone gets to prance around in a cushy office all day." He eyed Kaiba critically before nudging him in the side with an elbow. "If it bothers you so much, you don't have to stand so close."

Kaiba responded by bumping him aside with his hip. "You're hogging the cards." He flicked through the stacks carefully, ignoring Jonouchi's surprised yelp and subsequent grumbling. There wasn't really all that much to look at, anyways. Although the Kame Shop wasn't bad, it just didn't have the kind of stock Kaiba was accustomed to looking at. Too many amateurs frequented the store, and while Sugoroku kept a few rare cards, he wasn't exclusive enough. There were too many filler cards that didn't serve any real purpose.

"What exactly are you looking for?" Kaiba asked after becoming annoyed by Jonouchi's frantic card flipping. It didn't appear that he even knew what he was trying to find. "You're giving me a headache."

Jonouchi continued his inspection of the cards, plucking a few out as he made his way through the boxes. "Just picking some interesting ones right now. A bunch of my trap and gamble cards got banned, so I need to figure out a new deck strategy."

"You'd get much further using a dealer instead of looking through boxes of useless cards... Just my professional advice."

Jonouchi snorted, his eyes quickly cutting over to Kaiba before turning back to his work. "Dealers cost more. _Way_ more. I'll be able to figure something out from these."

Kaiba rolled his eyes and scoffed. Becoming frustrated, he snatched the cards out of Jonouchi's hands, putting them far out of his grasp before pulling a card out of his wallet and flinging it on the counter.

"Here's my dealer's number. Maybe if you won more tournaments, you could afford his services. Haven't you ever thought about getting a better sponsorship?"

Jonouchi blinked like the thought had never crossed his mind. Or maybe he was just taken aback by Kaiba's rather forward moves.

"A good Duelist doesn't need to buy his own cards, you know."

Jonouchi slid the business card over, giving it a cursory glance. His face squinched. "Who _wouldn't_ want a big sponsorship?" he pouted. "Unfortunately, entrance fees are pretty high, so I can't really get my name out there. So it's not like I've got sponsors banging down my door."

"Interesting... You know Kaiba Corporation is looking for someone who's at least a seven-star rated Duelist to sponsor, right?"

Jonouchi's eyes widened fractionally, his mouth gaping. Kaiba had to fight the smirk that was tugging at his lips.

"Um. What exactly are you saying, Kaiba?"

"I'm just saying it's a great opportunity for someone out there," replied Kaiba smoothly before shrugging his shoulders, "Too bad you're only a six-star. You'd need someone on the inside to make that little disqualification go away...

"The contract pays five hundred thousand yen a month, too. It's a pretty sweet deal, so I'm told."

"Why are you even bringing this up?" Jonouchi sighed, his face falling. "You made it pretty clear last time that you didn't particularly enjoy my company, so why do you even care about my pathetic dueling career."

"I don't care," Kaiba replied bluntly, "but business is business, and I can work with people I don't particularly like. You have talent, but you lack the discipline and finances to get very far in your career... I thought you might be interested in hearing your possible options. After all," said Kaiba as he finally selected a card he wanted for himself with a slight grin, "you only need one more regional championship win to become a seven-star, according to your stats."

Jonouchi slid the dealer's business card back over to Kaiba. "Thanks, but the next regional's not for a couple of weeks, and I don't suppose you'd be willing to look the other way for me," Jonouchi said, adding underneath his breath, "even if I did just win against a certain eight-star player…"

"It was an unrated match."

"Unrated or not, a win's still a win," Jonouchi hissed, careful not to attract Sugoroku's attention. "Just because it didn't end in your favor doesn't mean it counts for nothing."

"You wouldn't have beaten me in a match if I hadn't been sick, so why should it count for anything?" snarked Kaiba as he rolled his eyes and moved onto the next display counter, "You got lucky. That's all."

Jonouchi snatched back the box Kaiba had been looking through, putting its top back on with a little more force than necessary. "You're unbelievable, but I shouldn't be surprised. You always did play by a different set of rules than the rest of us," he said bitterly, stacking the boxes.

Kaiba didn't react to the comment, just continuing on his way without missing a beat as Jonouchi seethed in place. When he did eventually turn to look at Jonouchi from the corner of his eye, his mouth only slightly raised as if catching himself about to smile, although not enough to really count.

"You're getting grease on the merchandise."

Jumping back a step from the counter, Jonouchi quickly eyed his clothes before turning a scowl onto Kaiba, "What do you care? Are you even here to buy anything or just torture me?" He carefully collected his cards, tapping them in order. "Hey, Jii-san, I'm done over here," he yelled toward Sugoroku.

Ignoring Kaiba, he walked toward the register, drawing a handful of bills from his wallet. "Sorry if I ruined anything," he told the old man sheepishly, "Just let me know, and I'll pay you back?"

Sugoroku observed Kaiba, still lingering by the display case. "Don't worry about it, Jonouchi-kun."

Frowning, Kaiba looked away as Jonouchi made his purchase. He wasn't sure if Jonouchi had taken the bait. Was he interested in the sponsorship or too angry to even consider it? The idiot was hot-headed enough to let a good opportunity go out of pride or spite, and Kaiba knew that would make things more difficult.

Besides, he wasn't going to just give him that much money without Jonouchi proving that he was a worthy investment. Kaiba didn't take anyone on as a charity case when it came to business dealings, and glancing back at Jonouchi briefly, he wondered if Jonouchi had what it took to win still?

Sure, Jonouchi had beaten him in a back alley Duel, but that was playing against Kaiba at his weakest. He still felt like shit, unable to sleep and eating out of habit rather than desire. His clothes were getting too loose, and Kaiba knew he also looked like crap, but until Mokuba came back home, he'd be unable to relax.

Could Jonouchi take him on at his full strength? That was yet to be proven. It would be an interesting turn of events, if it did happen...

"Thanks again!" Jonouchi hollered over his shoulder as he marched back to the front of the store. He didn't spare a glance at Kaiba as he walked by, bending to retrieve his messenger bag and throwing it across his chest. He paused in the doorway, a thumbnail scratching against the bag's strap. "Sponsorship or not, I'm still a Duelist. Guess I'll see you around," he said quietly.

"Hmpf. You can count on it," replied Kaiba under his breath. He waited for Jonouchi to leave before turning his attention to Sugoroku, who was almost glaring at him but not quite. He looked caught between being polite because Kaiba was a potential customer and mad because he was dawdling in his store. Finally Kaiba just snatched a few promising cards and a booster pack, buying them to keep the peace before marching out of the shop with his purchases.

By the time he'd stepped back outside, the sun was beginning to set behind the skyscrapers of Domino City, and Jonouchi was nowhere in sight.

"How unfortunate."

He didn't need the stupid cards he'd wasted money on. Now he wasn't quite sure what to do with them. Huffing, Kaiba took out his phone and called for his driver. There was no point in hanging around Yugi's place any longer.


	6. Chapter 6

Jonouchi had caught the bus just before it had taken off, and he couldn't have been more grateful. He could feel his hackles rising, and his heart was racing, although it had nothing to do with his sprint to the bus stop.

He was infuriated. Mostly at Kaiba, but also at himself for even entertaining the idea that maybe just once, Kaiba wouldn't be such an asshole. Jonouchi wasn't even sure why Kaiba had been at the Kame Game Shop if he had his own card dealer, but he chalked it up to bad luck and even worse timing.

He couldn't understand why Kaiba felt the need to be insufferable all the time. Didn't the guy ever tired of being so goddamn contrary? Or maybe it was just his hobby, and Jonouchi was the latest (and likely, most frequent) recipient of Kaiba's ministrations.

Jonouchi thought that maybe he had gotten over it. They were a bit older, now, and he'd finally won a Duel against Kaiba, unranked or not. The details didn't really matter to him one way or another, just that it had happened. After years of struggles and humiliations, he'd finally bested Kaiba and would finally gain the other's acknowledgement.

Or so he'd hoped.

No, Kaiba continued to deny him. And to add insult to injury, he'd reminded Jonouchi of his place—taunting a sponsorship that was just out of his reach. Why even bring it up if not to kick him down?

After everything, Jonouchi still wasn't good enough.

So he'd left. No point in potentially assaulting someone (in your best friend's family shop, to boot) who could send you to jail and throw away the key while they're at it. It had been years since Jonouchi broke from the gang, and while he knew he still had a penchant for settling scores with fists rather than wits, he didn't particularly care to try that bit of luck any further than what he'd pushed in the past.

He wasn't going to be like his father.

Hugging his messenger bag in his lap, Jonouchi carefully took out his new cards and shuffled through them, trying to ease his clenching jaw. Back to square one. He would just have to prove himself in the next round of regionals, and maybe some other company would bite. Nothing would be as good as a Kaiba Corp sponsorship, but Jonouchi wasn't sure if the personal price was worth the benefit. He sighed, leaning his head against the cool glass of the bus window.

It would be a hell of a lot of money, though.

Scrubbing his eyes, Jonouchi packed his cards away and moved to the front of the bus. He still have a good fifteen-minute walk to his apartment, and the sky was darkening fast. He hustled through the streets, keeping close to the streetlamps and kept a tight hold onto his bag. He didn't relax until his key slid into the lock, and he hurried inside into the dark apartment. Soft snores drifted from the couch, the room aglow with the faint light of snow on the small television screen. Sighing, Jonouchi felt around blindly for the remote, turned the set off, then retreated into his room. He was hungry but no longer had an appetite, and collapsing onto his futon, he stared at the dark ceiling until sleep took over.

* * *

Jonouchi's eyes snapped open the next morning, a sense of dread pooling in his stomach. He groaned as he rolled over, throwing an arm out to his desk and retrieving his cell phone. Sure enough, he'd overslept.

Cursing silently, he bolted out of bed, racing into the shower and throwing on the first set of clean clothes he could find. As he left, Jonouchi noted that the couch was empty, the second bedroom door slightly ajar. His father must have relocated sometime during the night. It was a little unnerving—normally Jonouchi's ears were especially attuned to movement within their apartment, but he must have been so completely out of it the previous night that it escaped his attention.

He wouldn't have time to wait for the bus. Cursing to himself again, Jonouchi broke out into a run, nearly getting clipped by a car and colliding with a woman walking her dog in the process. He shouted half-hearted apologies mainly by habit, weaving around trash cans and storekeepers, pacing himself with the crosswalk lights so that he wouldn't have to come to a complete stop.

Fourteen blocks to go.

Jonouchi arrived just two minutes late, calling out morning greetings to the shop owner and ducking into the garage. Honda was already there, clipboard in hand, and he gave a short wave before tossing it onto a counter and crouching to investigate the cabinets below.

"Yo," Jonouchi managed to gasp out, still panting.

"Hey," Honda acknowledged, sifting through the shelves. "You're late."

"Whatever, man, I just forgot to switch my alarm. Don't jump my balls about it," Jonouchi replied snippily, stowing his bag in his cubby.

Honda snorted loudly from his position across the way. "Ooh, Sleeping Beauty's testy today!" he teased.

Rolling his eyes, Jonouchi moved to join him, plopping onto a nearby shop stool. "Sorry, just a little on edge. So what's on the schedule for today?"

Honda tossed the clipboard to Jonouchi, who deftly caught it in one hand. He flipped through the pages as Honda explained. "Not a whole lot, actually. We got some new shipments in the back, so Fujiwara-san wants us to take current inventory before stocking them. Then a clutch replacement at nine-thirty, a dented pipe at noon, then a faulty fuel injector at four. I think Fujiwara-san wants to take on the pipe, but he said we could pretty much do whatever between jobs."

"Sweet deal," Jonouchi grinned, "maybe I can get him to show me how to do some fixes on my bike."

"What, that rusty clunker?" Honda said, dodging a box of latex gloves aimed for his head. "I don't see why you're gonna dump money into that thing. Just get a new one."

"It's _vintage_," Jonouchi emphasized, sticking his tongue out. "Besides, my old man gave it to me. I wanna bring it back to its glory days like when he used to ride."

Honda sniffed in mock derision, "It's _American_."

"Don't be jealous that you had to settle for a crotch rocket while I have a _real man's_ bike," Jonouchi laughed. "Anyways, let's get to work before Fujiwara starts breathing fire."

"On you, maybe," Honda remarked, "I'm already working."

Jonouchi blew off Honda's comment, flipping him off behind his back before picking up his spreadsheet and going over the stock he was responsible for. A few times parts had been stolen by dishonest assistant mechanics, since they were in the "bad side" of town, and Fujiwara was paranoid about losing money.

The man was like a little dragon, storing his treasure far away and snapping at anyone who tried getting too close to it. Honda liked to laugh and say his sexuality was money, because Fujiwara had told them he refused to get married because women cost too much and keeping a lucky cat was better.

There was a stray calico bobtail that came around sometimes, begging for food and lying around where it could get itself killed. Jonouchi found it amusing, how he'd nap on top of the bikes they were trying to fix, while Honda would lose his patience and try chasing the tom away.

It was pointless, though. The cat always appeared at the same time each day, for his meal and daily sunbath. When it was winter, he'd sneak into Fujiwara's office and sit in front of the space heater while everyone else had to brave the cold of the garage.

"Hey, Honda," called out Jonouchi as he marked his sheet with messy checkmarks, "don't you think we should name that cat already? He's been here since before we both started our jobs here."

"No."

Snorting, Jonouchi rolled his eyes. "Oh come on," he continued, "he's like our little mascot or something. Don't be such a killjoy; it's not like he's gonna come steal your job or something. Help me give him a name."

"No way, cats aren't my thing. Besides, once we name him, that means we'll actually be responsible for him. I didn't sign up for that—his skulking around here is annoying enough as it is."

"It should be your thing though," snickered Jonouchi, "Cats seem more attracted to you than women, I've noticed..."

Jonouchi broke out into fits of laughter when Honda threw his rag at him angrily, "Sorry. Maybe if you got a haircut, they wouldn't all be running away from your faux hawk so much..."

Honda paused, incredulous, "A haircut, seriously? Do you even know what that is?" He eyed the top of Jonouchi's head pointedly.

"This is in style. That thing you have going on," Jonouchi pointed towards Honda's head, "was the shit back in middle school. It's time to move on already."

In all actuality, Jonouchi was too afraid to cut his own hair and couldn't afford to pay a professional...besides the fact that salons were meant for girls. His dad would never let him hear the end of it if he actually went and wasted money so some woman could wash his hair and give his ends a trim...something he could do for free at home with the shampoo they bought at the corner store.

"Besides, my golden hair represents one of my charming qualities," continued Jonouchi as he grinned at Honda, "I can't be tamed."

"That's for damn sure," Honda said. "You were always the wildest of us, even back in our delinquent days. Must be that foreign blood," he snickered.

"Oh shut up. Let me remind you that I am half-Japanese and have a birth certificate that says I'm from here, you ass."

Jonouchi hadn't even managed to pass his English classes in high school. Anzu had to tutor him, and even after he finally managed a 3 out of 5, he couldn't get past poor pronunciations and misreading words all the time. His father refused to help him, but that wasn't anything new...

"You just wish you had more interesting ancestry than 'rice field.'"

"Pshh, the Honda line originates from an old, distinguished aristocracy," Honda said airily. "Besides," he continued thoughtfully, twirling a pen between his fingers, "now that I think about it, you were wrong about being untamable—I'm sure Yugi would disagree." Chuckling at Jonouchi's scowl, Honda tucked the pen behind his ear and propped himself up on the countertop. "Hey, any news on him?"

"Nah, I haven't heard from him in a while..."

Yugi had left for an internship in Cairo, having put his dueling career on hold. It was great for competition reasons, not having to worry about facing off against the "King of Games," but Yugi was Jonouchi's best friend. He hated being without him, and Yugi was so busy with school and the museum he was working at, he probably didn't have that much time for phone calls with old friends.

Jonouchi understood. Besides, Yugi really wanted to return to Egypt. Who could fault him for leaving?

"Speaking of Yugi," said Jonouchi after a minute of thought, "I think Kaiba was trying to tail me at the Kame Shop yesterday. It was really weird."

"What?" Honda exclaimed, "You mean Mr. Prissy Pants actually deigned to creep around the working class sections of town?"

"He said he was looking for new cards," snorted Jonouchi, "but I don't think so. He's been trailing me since I dueled him a few weeks ago."

Jonouchi didn't feel like adding the little fact that he'd beat Kaiba at said Duel, but it wasn't like Honda would even believe him if he had. "I wonder what his damn problem is..."

"What _isn't_ his problem," Honda said, rhythmically clacking his heels against the cabinet door. "You do something to piss him off?"

"...Nothing more than usual."

Finishing his inventory check, Jonouchi left to the main office to turn in his paperwork before returning, taking out his old Harley since they had another good hour before any customers would be coming.

Fujiwara had even said before, "Better you break your own bike than one of mine." So practice made perfect, in Jonouchi logic.

"I kinda feel bad for Kaiba, actually."

"Why?" asked Honda, who was hauling boxes from the back room. "It's not like the guy ever spared any of us any regard or sympathy."

"I found out that Mokuba took off for California, so he's probably alone and miserable. You remember how close those two were? I just find it strange that they'd split like that, although Kaiba said Mokuba left on 'business,' but for some reason I doubt that."

"Good," Honda grunted as he ripped packing tape from a box, "It's about time someone stood up to him and stopped taking his shit. Sorry, Jou, but Kaiba always pranced around like an entitled little prick, so I can't say I feel bad about him getting what was coming to him."

"That's his little brother, though, and you know how tight they were, Honda. Don't be an ass; it's not like he even knew who you were enough for you to care so much about how he acted...except maybe the whole Death-T thing," Jonouchi considered, "Although we both know something more was going on then.

"Anyways, I'm a big brother, unlike you, so I just know how it feels to be away from a sibling and unable to protect them. It sucks."

"I'll give you that," Honda admitted as he stacked oil filters in the cabinet. "But it's not like Kaiba ever ranked really high on my list of favorite people… I'd be careful, though—you never really know what to expect when Kaiba's involved."

"Since when have I ever been afraid of a little danger, Honda," joked Jonouchi as he shook his head and laughed, "Besides, he mostly refuses to even talk to me when I approach him. He's like some damn stalking cat who runs away once you turn to look at him. I don't get it. I can't even say I hate him anymore. You can't hate a wounded animal that bites when provoked, you know..."

Jonouchi just didn't like it when Kaiba purposely came after him, like it was a dedicated hobby of his or some shit. _That_ got on his nerves.

"Yugi wouldn't want me giving up on him, anyways."

Honda rolled his eyes. "It might do you good tobe afraid, sometimes," he quipped as he went back to the stockroom. "I wonder about your sense of self-preservation."

"I don't have any!"

When Honda had disappeared, Jonouchi paused and thought for a second, maybe he should care more about himself. He'd thrown his life in the line of fire so many damn times, and he somehow managed to still live to see his high school graduation. Maybe he shouldn't flirt with the fates so much, in case they lost patience with him.

But becoming entangled with Kaiba… Jonouchi didn't know how to feel about that, or even if he really had much of a choice in the matter. It seemed the two of them constantly attracted and repelled one another, like magnets that switched polarities once one got too close to the other.

It was frustrating. All Jonouchi had ever wanted was to befriend him—gain his approval and respect—yet Kaiba remained steadfast in his refusal. And despite all this, they were still thrown together, being forced to deal with each other as though it were some kind of sick penance from past deeds in another life.

Maybe it wasn't the fates Jonouchi had to worry about—they seemed keen on messing with him, perhaps as payback for all the crap he'd gotten into during his youth.

His behavior hadn't been the best. Jonouchi could easily recall how much he used to harass Yugi, just because he was small and quiet. He brought his games to school to play with during lunch instead of playing basketball like the rest of the boys, and of course Jonouchi had to make something of it. Bother Yugi by stealing his stuff and convincing Honda to join in, even though he knew Yugi didn't have much in the way of friends to protect him...

That wasn't even the worst crap he'd ever done. He'd beaten up kids in middle school, putting one in the hospital. It was the reason he couldn't go to the local high school with the rest of his middle school class and got sent to Domino High School instead. The police were already close to locking him up, and if anything, Yugi was a second chance at a normal life. One Jonouchi's own father hadn't given a shit about, believing a cell in prison was the place he belonged...

Jonouchi didn't want to torture himself with Kaiba, but he felt responsible for him, regardless. No one else would have anything to do with him, and Mokuba had left. It wouldn't be right to abandon the guy just because he had an attitude problem—sometimes he wasn't even that bad—but Jonouchi didn't want to be used as a continual punching bag, either.

Fiddling with the broken taillight of his bike, Jonouchi decided to just let life take him where it willed. It was pointless to worry over things he apparently had no control over; he had to focus on what little things he could: his job, his debts, the upcoming regionals...where he'd no doubt see Kaiba again.

He'd show him. He didn't need some grand sponsorship to win. Jonouchi had managed this long on his own, and he was determined to build his list of achievements until some promoter took notice. It was only a matter of time, and although Jonouchi conceded that he wasn't the most patient person, he knew the value of perseverance and hard work.

Besides, he didn't want to kiss Kaiba's ass to make his career happen.

By the time Honda returned to the garage, Jonouchi felt lighter, more secure in his resolve. It was almost like high school again, at the beginning of Yugi's adventure, where every day was met with excitement and possibility. His life was starting again—Jonouchi was sure of it.

* * *

On the morning of regionals, Jonouchi awoke a minute before his alarm was set to go off. The sun was already streaming brightly into his room, and he felt alert and revived. He even put effort into his appearance, selecting newer clothes and making a more concerted attempt to tame his unruly hair. Finishing with time to spare, Jonouchi decided to go over his deck one last time. Placing his Duel Disk on the kitchen countertop, Jonouchi dragged a chair over and spread out his cards, going over each and memorizing their attributes. He was so engrossed in his meditations that he didn't notice the clicking of a door or the soft shuffling behind him.

"The hell're you doin'?" a deep voice grumbled, thick with the edge of sleep.

Jonouchi nearly jumped out of his skin, but he schooled himself at the last moment. "'Morning to you, too, Oyaji," he replied neutrally.

His father merely grunted, ambling over to the cupboards. He shifted through their contents loudly, clacking glasses together and nearly knocking over a canister before Jonouchi appeared by his side with an exasperated huff. "Here, let me do that—you're gonna topple everything over." Reaching inside, Jonouchi excavated a large mug and a drip cone, then nudged his father over to reach into the adjacent shelf for the tin of coffee grounds.

It was a habit his father had picked up while living in America. He preferred drip coffee in the morning, turning his nose up at tea or any espresso-based drink—the former being "too girly" and the latter being "for yuppies." He snubbed the instant variety, as well: "imitation shit" companies made to try to swindle him out of his money. His father's pickiness was an endless source of hassle for him in the mornings, so Jonouchi had always tried to clear out before his father woke, to avoid the very debacle he was dealing with now.

Setting the kettle on the burner, Jonouchi retrieved the paper filters and set up the manual drip. "We don't have any sugar; you gonna be okay with that?"

His father gave him a blank stare. "You didn't buy any yesterday?"

"No, I had to close last night, remember?" Jonouchi sighed. "I can get some tonight before I come back home."

It was the wrong thing to say. His father's face turned alert then, his eyes roving over Jonouchi's appearance and the cards laid out on the countertop. "Goin' someplace special, kid?"

Jonouchi's eyes flicked over to the cards and his Duel Disk, and he squirmed under the observation. "Uh, no, not really. There's a local tournament today that I'm playing in," he replied warily. He kept his eyes trained on the kettle, watching the flames lick up along its edges, and willed the damn thing to boil faster.

His father snorted loudly. "Still playing that children's shit? Waste of fuckin' time. You think you can really win?"

"I have before," replied Jonouchi as he averted his gaze from his father's scrutinizing eyes, "The prizes are more than what I make in a month. It's good for us."

"Big head you got there," his father tsked. "Let me tell you somethin' 'bout winning, son—it don't last. You fill your head with those big dream of yours, and I'll tell you where it'll get you. Crashing to the bottom of the goddamned pit," he said viciously, giving Jonouchi a look that bordered condescension and pity. "You think you're really a winner?" he continued, "Look around you. What d'ya fucking see?"

Jonouchi narrowed his eyes before snorting, "This place might be shitty, but this is all I can afford right now. When I get more wins under my belt, it'll be different. I've already come so far-"

His father laughed, a low and hoarse rumbling that reverberated through the tiny room. "You can dream of all the 'ifs' and 'whens,' but that ain't gonna change reality. Just look at you," he reached out and flicked the collar of Jonouchi's jean jacket, "playin' dress-up, tryin' to blend in with those prissy city-boys." He waved his hand, letting his wrist go limp for emphasis. "You think you've got them fooled, but they'll sniff you out like the street rat you are," his father spat, slowly closing the distance between them.

Jonouchi stood his ground but inwardly flinched away. He stealthily turned the knob on the stove, the flames shooting up the sides of the kettle.

"You've got nothin' to say 'cause you know it's true," his father taunted. "You ain't nothin' but a low-life half-breed, just like th'rest of us, so don't you try actin' like you're better. You might've won in the past, but let me make somethin' clear to you: you ain't no winner. Here, in this country, _we_ are not winners. And the faster you learn that, the better it'll do you."

They stood in silence for a while, tension palpable in the air. "Sure, Oyaji," Jonouchi finally mouthed quietly, eyes still trained on the stove.

A high-pitched whistle broke through the air, and Jonouchi wished it had come five minutes earlier.

He poured the water slowly, still feeling his father's heavy presence looming beside him, and Jonouchi cursed his stinging eyes. His father always had a way of cutting him down, past the marrow, right to the organs inside. It didn't matter that he was now an adult; his father made him feel small. Small and weak and hopeless and vulnerable.

The elder Jonouchi had stumbled over to the couch, so Jonouchi wordlessly brought over the steaming mug before collecting his items and gingerly placing them inside his bag. "See you later," he said to the room. He didn't get a reply.

* * *

Just like Jonouchi had assumed, Kaiba was sitting up in the stands in all black, looking disinterested right as the final match was about to start. Despite telling himself that he had the Duel in the bag, Jonouchi couldn't get his father's words out of his head. He felt anxious, despite his opponent being less experienced than him, and he'd seen the guy compete before. His deck wasn't particularly difficult, but Jonouchi had to deal with the loss of some of his gamble cards.

Now it was show time. Taking one last sweeping look around the crowd, he didn't see any of his friends around to cheer him on. The only familiar face in the stands was Kaiba, and turning his attention away from him, Jonouchi chided himself internally for even taking note of that. As if Kaiba wouldn't appear at a Duel Monster competition, even if it was only a regional championship.

Did he come for business or just to psyche Jonouchi out? He wasn't sure. It seemed like a silly thing to do and a waste of time, if it was the latter. Kaiba had to have better things to do than hang around watching high schoolers play card games against each other, since the matches weren't really that highly-rated, and none of the big-name professionals were even competing.

If it was a larger competition, Jonouchi would have had a better reason to feel so nervous. Going against some spunky senior who got lucky with a handful of decent trump cards wasn't something worth sweating over.

The match started, and Jonouchi quickly got the upper hand. It was apparent that his opponent was inexperienced, and Jonouchi took down two of his monsters with ease. It wasn't enough to make him relax, though, and he caught himself feeling drawn to the spectator at the top of the stadium rows. He tried to focus.

"_Do you really think you can win?_"

Jonouchi was caught off-guard, and his opponent managed to unleash a trap that wiped out his field, along with a good chunk of his life points. He mentally berated himself for falling into a false sense of security. Even though the kid was an amateur, he was still a Duelist, and Jonouchi knew he had to get his head in the game. He eyed his hand, trying to come up with a strategy, but he felt like a fish out of water. The ban list had forced him to rehaul his deck extensively, and although he'd studied his cards for days before the tournament, it still didn't feel quite right.

He just needed to _think_.

Hoping to regain some footing, Jonouchi played a monster in defense and a couple of magic cards face-down. After a few turns, Jonouchi managed to bring his opponent down so that their life points were now equal. He didn't have much in his hand to work with, though, and Jonouchi cursed his bad luck.

"_You got lucky. That's all._"

His eyes snapped open wide, jerkily moving up to locate the black-clad figure in the stands. It wasn't the time for this. It wasn't the place for this. But Jonouchi felt his heart start to race, a cold chill traveling up his spine, his hands hot and clammy against his cards. He shook his head, drawing a confused look from the kid before him. Jonouchi usually thrived on the cheers from the crowds, but now he felt like he was under a microscope, being picked apart under their watchful gaze.

"_They'll sniff you out like the street rat you are._"

The cheers grew, mutating into a deafening roar, until all Jonouchi heard was silence.

Well _fuck that_.

He could feel the anger rising and surging through his veins. Jonouchi laughed to himself a little for being so stupid. No one except Yugi had ever believed in him before. He would have to just believe in himself.

With his resolve renewed, Jonouchi was able to gain some more ground on his next draw, even cornering the kid enough to inflict direct damage. He unleashed a chain of magic cards, but just when he thought he had victory within his grasp, the kid surprised him. One trap card was all it took to undo Jonouchi's efforts, leaving him vulnerable, and everything seemed to fast-forward after that. There was a blinding flare of light, and when it subsided, both Jonouchi and the kid wore matching looks of surprise.

The zero in front of Jonouchi's face flashed in time with the dull beats of his heart.

"That was a really good Duel."

Jonouchi could hear his opponent talking, but the words didn't register. He just stared at his Duel Disk for a second longer than he should have, blinking a few times before the realization of failure finally soaked in. It wasn't like he hadn't tried hard, but Jonouchi knew he had allowed his self-doubt to get to his head.

He glanced up at the stands. Kaiba was no longer in sight.

"Yeah," he finally replied, breaking the silence, "it was a good Duel. Congratulations, kid, you definitely gave me a run for my money."

"Nah man, I totally thought you had me there. I just got lucky, is all," and before Jonouchi could react, the kid grabbed and shaked his hand enthusiastically before running off to get his picture taken.

At least he wasn't an ass about it.

The second place prize money wasn't that much. A mere one hundred thousand yen compared to the first place prize of five hundred thousand, but Jonouchi couldn't really complain. He made more in one day than he would have in two weeks, and that was something to be proud of. At least his father was wrong about dueling being a waste of time. It was paying the bills better than his garage job was.

It just sucked so much losing when Jonouchi knew he should have won that Duel. His cheeks burning, he knew it would bother him for some time before his disappointment would finally subside. At least none of his friends were around to watch him screw up like that.

"You shouldn't have lost your nerve like that."

The familiar and duly unwanted voice sent Jonouchi's hair up on end, and whipping his head back, he scowled when he found Kaiba standing right behind him, his face neutral but eyes giving away his clear disapproval.

"You've gone against much worthier Duelists before, Jonouchi. What was _that_?"

"Kaiba, if the only reason you're here is to make digs at me, you can keep them to yourself. I'm already doing a fine job of that, trust me," Jonouchi replied tartly.

"I'm not here looking for a fight," Kaiba answered back curtly, "I want to know why you just made such an embarrassment of yourself going up against a complete amateur. I thought you were better than that?"

Jonouchi ran a hand through his hair and resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. He never got headaches, but it seemed like life just wanted to dump everything on him today. "What do you want me to tell you? We all have bad days. Isn't that what my win against you was—just a bad day?"

"You don't have the excuse of being ill, Jonouchi. If you had won that Duel, you'd be a seven-star by now. Professionals aren't allowed to have 'bad days' in publicly-ranked matches, and you're smart enough to know that by now."

Jonouchi's lips pulled back into a feral grin. With how badly his day was going, he figured he might as well go for broke—there weren't many ways it could possibly get any worse. "You know what, Kaiba? You don't know a damn thing about me. You can go fuck yourself," he spat, turning on his heel to stalk away. He didn't need this.

"I told you I didn't come here looking for a fight, stupid," Kaiba called out as he crossed his arms and sighed rather dramatically with a roll of his eyes, "I have a business proposal for you, if you're not going to be too thick-skulled to cooperate right now."

Jonouchi stopped in his tracks, his fists balled tightly by his sides. He turned his head, not far enough to look behind him, but enough to let Kaiba know he still had his attention. "And what could you ever want from the likes of me?" he said, not really caring but unable to let it go.

"I think you have potential, if you'd just get your head in the game."

Wait, had he heard Kaiba right? Jonouchi's heart skipped a beat, the feeling sinking to his stomach and settling there uncomfortably. He flexed his hands, slowly opening and closing his fists before he turned fully around. "What about it?"

"Do you want to know my proposal or not?" asked Kaiba as he dropped his hip and shook his head like Jonouchi was a confused child who needed further explaining on something that was already a rather simple concept, "I'm looking to sponsor someone. Two-year contract of five hundred thousand yen a month with a three-month-long probationary period. If you don't want it, I can always offer it to someone else. I'm not going to break my back trying to get you to sign it."

Well that was unexpected. Jonouchi gaped at Kaiba, still not quite believing his ears. "But I'm only a six-star," he said dazedly, "You said before-"

"I'm my own boss; I can do whatever I want. Are you interested or not?"

He caught himself before he mindlessly signed his life over, remembering Honda's warning. Crossing his arms in front of him and shifting his weight to one leg, Jonouchi inclined his head and asked, "What's the catch?"

"You play whatever tournaments I sign you up for and win," Kaiba answered in a neutral tone, "That's all there really is to it. And of course, you'll be promoting Kaiba Corporation and take part in whatever commercial work and media I need you participating in, as well as wearing company logos and listening to whatever advice I give you in regards to your deck.

"But there is no 'catch.' This is a business deal, Jonouchi. That's all."

Jonouchi's eyebrows furrowed, his face squeezing together in concentration. Something about the whole deal just didn't sit right with him. Why him, and why now? There were a million questions he wanted to ask Kaiba, but he knew the other was losing his patience.

"You have forty-eight hours to decide," Kaiba interrupted. "If you want the contract, come to the Kaiba Corporation Legal Department. If not, I'm giving it to someone else. Now unless you have anything further to say to me-"

Kaiba turned heel and stalked away, walking much too fast for Jonouchi to say anything in response.

Standing in place, Jonouchi dumbly watched Kaiba retreat into the bowels of the stadium. He was still too shell-shocked to say anything, so he kept his mouth shut and headed toward the exit in deep concentration.

Forty-eight hours to determine the course of the rest of his life. Any smart person would've snapped at the opportunity, but Jonouchi knew Kaiba. Would the money really be worth it? He'd tried countless times to befriend the bastard, only to be burned. Could he really trust the man with his dueling career?

In short, yes. Kaiba was an accomplished Duelist—one of the best in the world. He knew what he was doing, and no one could best him in business matters. But Jonouchi was unsure whether he wanted to become one of Kaiba's investments, or what that all really entailed.

Taking out his cell phone, Jonouchi scrolled through his speed dial before punching the call button. He held his breath as three rings passed, then exhaled in relief as he heard a click. "Hey man, you free? There's something I need to talk to you about…"


	7. Chapter 7

Jonouchi raced up the stairs two at a time, barely able to contain his energy. He'd stood the entire subway ride over, at times pacing the length of the train car. It'd earned him some odd stares, and he was pretty sure at one point a rather concerned-looking mother had pulled her child closer, but Jonouchi couldn't be bothered by what others thought of him. His mind was buzzing, flipping through several scenarios and possibilities and their outcomes. He felt like he was going to burst.

He ran all the way to the end of the hall, nearly missing the right apartment. Skidding to a halt, Jonouchi took a second to compose himself, then furiously banged his fist against the door. "Hey, open up you asshole—I know you're home!"

There were a few minutes of silence before a curse could be heard behind the door and Honda appeared, unlocking and stumbling his way to opening the front entry to allow Jonouchi inside. He frowned and rolled his eyes when he saw Jonouchi's face, far too excited to be a quick drive-by, and getting out of the way, Honda closed the door after he was no longer in danger of being run over.

"So what's up? You don't usually just barge in, since we see each other at work every day..."

Jonouchi was apparently making himself right at home, going through the cabinets for food as Honda gaped in shock.

"Really man, why didn't you eat before coming here? I'm not made out of yen!"

Jonouchi stuck his tongue out in reply, continuing his fervent quest. "Don't be stingy. I didn't realize how hungry I was till I got here," he remarked, settling on a bag of senbei. He popped a few into his mouth, the crackers crunching loudly as Honda gave him a disdainful look. He nervously paced Honda's small kitchen before his friend herded him out to the living room. Still clutching the bag of crackers to his chest, Jonouchi flopped onto Honda's couch, his back sinking into the worn cushions. He still couldn't contain his energy, which concentrated into his feet tapping wildly against the floor.

"Geez, Jonouchi, just spill already!" sighed Honda as he took a seat across, "All your fidgeting is getting on my nerves already. What is it?"

Jonouchi looked at Honda sullenly, his bottom lip slightly protruding. "I have a dilemma," he began, stuffing another cracker in his mouth.

"What is it? Your dad stealing money again-"

"No, not this time," Jonouchi said with a wave of his hand. He sighed, sitting forward to lean his elbows against his thighs. The bag of crackers crunched lightly in his lap. "I ran into Kaiba after the tournament today. He offered me a sponsorship, even though I lost."

"...I don't see what the problem is." Honda laughed loudly before grinning at Jonouchi's scowling face, sitting back in the couch before crossing his arms all haughty-like, "If Kaiba Seto wants to throw money at you, let him. Who cares the reason why; I'd just take it and run. Who knows when you'll get another chance like this—he must be crazy or something..."

Jonouchi's eyebrows nearly flew into his hairline. "Wait, am I hearing things? You're the one who told me I should be more careful around him!"

"You could use the money, Jonouchi," Honda reasoned, "I mean sure, Kaiba's a major fucking creep. But as long as he's not asking for after school favors from you and he's just paying for you to duel, I don't see the problem. How much is he offering?"

"Five hundred thousand yen a month," Jonouchi admitted reluctantly. When Honda's eyes bugged out in response, Jonouchi threw up both hands in front of him. "Wait, wait, wait! I know, it's a lot of fucking money! But like, there _has _to be a catch, right? Why else would Kaiba just dump that much money on me?"

"Who fucking cares! That's six million yen a year, Jonouchi! You could move out of that ghetto apartment and afford college if you wanted to. I mean shit, if he wants to throw that kind of cash at you, just do whatever he wants—that's too much to pass up. People have sucked dick for less."

The color drained from Jonouchi's face, and he set aside the bag of senbei before he ended up crushing them to crumbs. "Please tell me you're joking," he deadpanned, clutching his head in his hands. "I mean, I _know_ it's a good opportunity—probably the best fucking opportunity I'll get in my life. But, like, Kaiba will practically _own_ me!" Jonouchi cried.

"Don't be so dramatic." Honda laughed again as he rolled his eyes and stole the bag of senbei from him, stuffing his mouth full and chewing as he spoke, "Sure, he might be an asshole, but he's a rich asshole, and you're not. Like it or not, buddy, you need the money. It's too much to pass up because of your pride. Just stuck it up and deal with him.

"Besides, you're the one who keeps going on and on about giving that prick a chance. You know what Yugi would say, if he was here."

Jonouchi scrubbed at his hair, ravaging it into wild angles. "I know, _I know_! This is what I've always asked for, right? Kaiba's finally acknowledging me as more than a speck of dust under his shoe. But I can't help but feel that something ain't right about the whole deal…"

"Just look over the contract carefully before you sign it," suggested Honda as he snorted, "Make sure you didn't sign away your virginity or something."

Spluttering, Jonouchi gave Honda a scandalized expression and wished he had something nearby to lob at his friend's head. "You _trying_ to make me throw up or something? These crackers are about to make a reappearance on your couch in a few minutes."

"Don't be such a hot-head; I'm only joking. Take the offer. You might not get another chance like this again, and I don't want to hear you whining about it."

Sinking back into the couch, Jonouchi sighed heavily and fiddled with his thumbs. "You're right," he said quietly. "I'll finally be able to duel for real. It's just, shit like this doesn't ever _happen_ to me. It's a lot to take in."

"Did Kaiba give you any details about what he wanted you to do?" asked Honda.

"Not really," Jonouchi began, now chewing at a cuticle. "Play in the tournaments he wants me to, promote KC and other crap...oh, and I'll have to take his advice about dueling and stuff. He'll probably want to screw around with my deck," he said, rolling his eyes.

"If he's paying for new cards, who cares," replied Honda as he stuffed more crackers into his mouth, "He wouldn't purposely give you bad advice since he wants you to win, and you'll get better cards than anything you could afford on your own. You'll just have to keep your mouth shut for once, if he says something you don't like."

Jonouchi hummed, turning Honda's words over in his mind. "True...but..decks are sacred. I know it sounds silly, but it's like a reflection of yourself. Having someone else mess with that…" It didn't sit well with him.

"Six million yen a year, Jonouchi..."

"Fuuuuuuuck," Jonouchi groaned, burying his head back into the couch. "I guess there's no escaping it, huh? I'm gonna be a KaibaCorp employee… I know I should feel excited about it, but…"

"Kaiba's gonna own your ass. Yeah, I wish I could feel sorry for you, man, but I don't. At least you'll be paid well for your sanity, right?"

"Right," Jonouchi said, clapping his hands down loudly on the couch. He stole the bag of senbei back from Honda and crammed a few more into his mouth. "Hey, wanna get something real to eat?" he asked between chews, "I guess I can even afford to treat now."

"Sure," Honda got up and snagged the bag of senbei back and went to the kitchen to put it away before grabbing his keys and wallet, "What do you gonna get? Teriyaki or maybe some ramen? There's a neat place only four blocks away, and it doesn't cost that much but they give you so much food, man!"

"Sounds good," Jonouchi agreed, "Lead the way!"

* * *

The next afternoon, Jonouchi showed up at Kaiba Corporation's Legal Department only to be met with blank stares and confusion.

"I'm sorry—Jonouchi-sama, was it? We don't have any record of that agreement…" the division secretary, a young, pretty woman explained apologetically. When she noticed Jonouchi's downcast expression, she gave him a warm smile and tried to reassure him. "It's possible it's still being drawn up. If you can wait, I can make a few phone calls," she offered.

Jonouchi nodded nervously, meandering over to the waiting area. Had Kaiba screwed with him again?

Just when he sat down, a tall mustached man in a black suit approached him. "Jonouchi-sama, if I may?" Bowing slightly, he offered Jonouchi his business card.

Looking up, Jonouchi recognized Kaiba's personal assistant and scrambled together enough coherence to accept the offered card with both hands. "Um, yes?" The card was simple, the KC logo in the corner, a phone number the only other writing.

"Kaiba-sama has requested that I collect you should you arrive at headquarters. He is waiting for you at the mansion. If you would please follow me…"

Pocketing the card, Jonouchi stood quietly and followed Isono to the elevators, mouthing a quick thank you to the secretary as he left. The walk to the garage was awkward, neither man saying a word, and Jonouchi wondered what the hell Kaiba's deal was. Kaiba had told him to go to headquarters to sign the contract—but now he was being invited to Kaiba's home?

Jonouchi's jaw nearly dropped when he saw the car waiting for them.

In a freaking _limo_, no less.

He shook himself out of his reverie, climbing into the back seat as Isono shut the door after him and settled into the driver's seat. The sudden darkness made Jonouchi feel like he was being trapped in a cage.

The ride was agonizingly slow, and it gave Jonouchi ample time to freak himself out as the scenes of Domino City passed by. He was being taken to Kaiba Mansion. In Kaiba's personal limo. By Kaiba's personal assistant. Just, what the actual fuck? It was like Kaiba was rolling out the proverbial red carpet for him, but...why? The Kaiba he knew would've made him walk or take the bus over, not set up some extravagant chauffeur service.

Just what was Kaiba playing at?

Upon arrival, Jonouchi was led directly upstairs, winding through the many hallways of the mansion. Jonouchi didn't bother taking his shoes off after he entered, but Isono made no comment over it. Jonouchi had to walk quickly to keep up with Isono's steady pace, sometimes falling behind as he gawked over the many displayed artworks and elegant decor. The whole place exuded money, and Jonouchi was quite sure several of the pieces were worth more than the annual sum of his soon-to-be salary.

Thankfully, they only had to climb up one set of stairs to reach what Jonouchi presumed to be Kaiba's study, Isono knocking before opening the door. He bowed deeply as he walked in, "Seto-sama, I have Jonouchi-sama as requested for the contract signing."

Then he turned heel and walked away without any kind of reply from Kaiba. Jonouchi made a face. The study was rather plain, compared to the rest of what he'd seen of the house. Kaiba sat in front of a wooden desk, working on a fancy-looking computer as a flat screen TV on the wall blathered the news. It didn't appear like Kaiba was paying any attention to it whatsoever.

"So," Jonouchi finally said, breaking the silence, "I thought you wanted me to do this whole thing at KaibaCorp, not your house."

"Take a seat."

Jonouchi's facial features tightened, his eyebrows furrowing. Kaiba didn't sound like he was asking. His voice had a kind of authority to it that made it clear that he wasn't making a request.

Once Jonouchi sat in the seat before him, Kaiba finally looked up from his computer, his face neutral and voice surprisingly soft.

"I had a feeling you'd take my offer," he began, "so I had my attorney draft this up last night. I didn't want you thinking I wasn't serious about this, so that's why I had you come all the way over here to do this in person. I thought you'd appreciate the personal touch."

Jonouchi was speechless for a moment before he eased into his chair and sighed with amusement. "I'll admit, it was quite the surprise. At first I thought maybe you were pulling my leg, before Isono showed up."

"Here are the papers." Kaiba pushed them across the desk and placed a pen on top, looking at Jonouchi briefly before averting his gaze back towards his monitor, "It shouldn't be that confusing to understand, but if you need something cleared up, don't hesitate to ask."

Scooting forward on the edge of his seat, Jonouchi flipped through the pages, giving each a cursory glance. There was a lot of legal jargon, but nothing really stood out as abnormal. His anxiety somewhat assuaged, Jonouchi reached for the pen as he arrived at the last page. "So this is it, huh? You don't want my signature in blood or anything?" he joked nervously.

"No."

Sighing, Jonouchi paged through the contract again, taking in the stipulations of the next couple years of his life. As a representative of Kaiba Corporation, he would only be able to purchase and use its dueling products. No problem, there—KC was the gold standard for Duel Monsters, and Jonouchi really didn't have much interest in any of the other games or products on the market. Besides, Kaiba Corp would be furnishing most—if not all—of his equipment, so Jonouchi felt no need to worry.

He'd also have to promote and test new products, the latter requiring a high level of confidentiality. Looking up at Kaiba's stern expression as he worked, Jonouchi crossed that off his list of worries. No way in hell would he want to evoke Kaiba's wrath at spilling his surprises or trade secrets.

There were a number of Duel Monster engagements that he would be required to qualify for as a sponsored Duelist—the contract wouldn't necessarily be void should he fail in that department, but there would be disciplinary measures taken for not living up to its expected terms. Kaiba, apparently, was taking this sponsorship very seriously.

The end of the contract spelled out the terms for its termination and renewal and stated that should Jonouchi ever leave Kaiba Corporation employment, he'd be forbidden from accepting other dueling gigs or sponsorships for a year after. Jonouchi thought that was rather harsh, but he supposed in a business sense, Kaiba was only protecting his investment. He couldn't have one of his spokesmen lobbying for a competing company during or immediately after their tenure. Besides, if Jonouchi played his cards right, he figured he'd have enough money saved to float through that year as an independent player, so it didn't seem that big of a deal.

Jonouchi eyed Kaiba again before he wordlessly signed the line above his name, turning the contract back around and forward for Kaiba to sign.

He did so quickly, his eyebrow raising at Jonouchi's signature and his mouth only slightly rising at the corners as if amused before taking the entire document and placing it into his briefcase, locking it up until Kaiba could store it somewhere, Jonouchi presumed.

It was silent again aside from Kaiba's constant typing on his computer. Jonouchi felt unsure of what to say. Rather quickly he'd signed the next two years of his life away, and squirming in his seat, he looked at Kaiba a tad more anxiously than he would have liked while waiting for some kind of response.

"I want you to come here again tomorrow with a box full of all your clothes," instructed Kaiba, "I'm sick of seeing you walking around in crappy second-hand shit you found at the thrift store. We're going to do an entire wardrobe rehaul.

"Also, you need a haircut, among other things..."

Jonouchi gaped at Kaiba, taken aback. "You're not serious, right? You mean you get to decide what I look like, as well?"

"It was in the contract. Maybe you should have bothered to read it better if you have a problem with being cleaned up—don't worry, I won't dress you up in all leather, since I highly doubt you could even pull that off without looking absolutely ridiculous..."

Jonouchi didn't know if he should feel thankful or offended. "I read it just fine, thanks, but I didn't expect you to demand my _whole wardrobe_," he emphasized, the hammering in his chest slowly calming to a normal pace.

"You're a Kaiba Corporation representative now, Jonouchi. I can't have you dressed like_ that_," Kaiba pointed out quite literally, gesturing at Jonouchi's heavily worn T-shirt and jeans, "while you're using my company's equipment and dueling under my name. Besides, it's not like you couldn't use the new clothes, so don't complain over it."

He grumbled under his breath, but Jonouchi decided not to push the issue. He sighed in resignation—he would have to gather his things while his father was sleeping or out, so as not to arouse his suspicion.

"I'll even let you pick out your new haircut," joked Kaiba as he snickered to himself, glancing at Jonouchi's strained face before turning back to his computer, "It's not going to kill you to look presentable for once in your life."

"How generous of you," Jonouchi remarked flatly. "Anything else?"

"We need to do something about your deck. That last Duel should have never ended up that way, and I don't want another incident like that happening again. Either you learn to use what you have already, or I'm having one of my guys going over the database to look for adjustments, since you lost so many of your signature moves to the ban list...

"Also, I'd prefer it if you didn't wander around Kaiba Corporation looking for me, for future reference. If you need to see me, come here. Isono will drive you."

Jonouchi winced—he knew Kaiba wouldn't let that last match go. "You mean, he'll pick me up wherever I am?" he asked, his hand unconsciously moving to the pocket that held the previously-offered business card.

"Yes. Also, when are you going to quit that mechanic job?"

"Uh, about that—do you think he could arrive in...something less flashy? A limo pulling up in my side of town wouldn't exactly draw the greatest attention," Jonouchi admitted, his face heating up slightly. "And do I really have to quit?"

"Yes. You won't have time for tinkering with motorcycles anymore," said Kaiba as he continued typing away on his computer, "And don't be stupid, Jonouchi, I'm well-aware of where you live, and Isono has a less-conspicuous vehicle as to not draw attention. You should consider changing addresses."

Jonouchi's thoughts screeched to a halt. "Wait, how do you know where I work? And live?"

"You don't think I'd learn everything about my future investments before putting money down on them?" laughed Kaiba as he finally turned his attention fully at Jonouchi's surprised facial expression, "Don't look so scandalized, it wasn't personal. I just like to do my homework."

Jonouchi didn't know how to feel about that, so he decided to file it away and not think about it too hard. "I don't know why anything you do still surprises me…"

There was no reply. Kaiba continued on working without skipping a beat, as if nothing had been said at all.

Jonouchi rubbed at his neck self-consciously with one hand, drumming the fingers of his other against his armrest. "So, uh, anything else, since you have me here?"

"No."

When Kaiba grew silent and turned his attention back to his computer, Jonouchi sat there for a minute and just stared at him. Was that really it? He fidgeted in his seat until he could no longer take it, abruptly standing up and nervously surveying the room. He almost extended his hand but caught himself before Kaiba had a chance to notice, instead stuffing it in the front pocket of his jeans. "Okay, um, I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Kaiba merely snorted in response. He didn't even look up from his computer as Jonouchi turned to leave.

Jonouchi had gotten all the way to the door before he paused, suddenly irritated. Turning around, he marched back to Kaiba's desk, slamming his palms down on its surface.

Quirking an eyebrow, Kaiba spared him a quick glance before returning to his work. "You break this desk and I'm docking it from your pay."

"Like you couldn't afford a new one," Jonouchi asserted. "Is this really it? You dragged me all the way out here just to sign a piece of paper? Nuh-uh," he exclaimed in disbelief.

"What else were you expecting? Dinner with a show? I have other things to do, Jonouchi."

"Whatever," Jonouchi dismissed, "Don't new employees get some kind of training or something?"

"You already know how to duel," Kaiba assessed with a snort, "And besides, I highly doubt you'd want any pointers coming from me. I have professional coaches at Kaiba Corp for that, if you want it so badly."

From the look on Kaiba's face, Jonouchi could tell that it hadn't occurred to Kaiba to try coaching Jonouchi himself. Probably didn't want to, and a part of Jonouchi was glad to be spared the probable bullying, but on the other hand, Kaiba was a world-class Duelist. Even if he might be a dick about it, Jonouchi knew he could learn a thing or two from him.

"Not a chance. You brought me into the fold, now you have to take responsibility for me. Don't think you're getting off so easily. You don't want me 'embarrassing' you at the next tournament, right?" Jonouchi reasoned.

"Don't you dare blackmail me," Kaiba snipped. His eyes grew dark and his face intensified, but he didn't look up from what he was doing. Somehow he was able to continue on in his work and carry on a conversation without skipping a beat.

"Is there any reason in particular why _I _need to train _you_ at this very moment besides your childish insistence for attention?"

"Oh my _god_," Jonouchi ground out. He felt like ripping his hair out, or better yet, Kaiba's. "Not everyone is out to get you, you asshole. I just meant that my performance the other day was less than stellar. It pains me to admit this, but you're right—I'm not used to this deck. But I'm not so stuck up that I can't admit that you're one of the best. So how about helping a guy out? Especially since I'll be repping you and all."

"_Ugh_."

His eyes finally leaving the computer screen, Kaiba turned his full focus onto Jonouchi's pleading face, his own eyes narrowed and mouth tight, but after a good few seconds of glaring, he finally got up. He seemed quick yet graceful with his motions, in a way Jonouchi had noticed even back in high school, and it caught him off-guard when Kaiba was halfway through the door without saying another word.

Jonouchi hurried after Kaiba, nearly tripping over himself in his haste to not get left behind. He followed silently as Kaiba wove between hallways, careful to keep his arms close to his sides, lest he knock over something irreplaceable. They took the main staircase down, walked through another series of hallways, then stopped before a plain-looking door. Removing a key from his pocket, Kaiba unlocked the door, flipping on a dim bulb light before descending another set of stairs.

Still standing in the hallway, Jonouchi watched as Kaiba disappeared into darkness. He gulped before setting off in trepidation, slowly taking one step at a time. He could feel goose bumps forming up and down his arms. "Hey, any reason why you're taking me into this creepy basement?" he asked.

"Because hot air rises," Kaiba answered.

"What?"

Flipping on another switch, the space was flooded with fluorescent light. Jonouchi winced, letting his eyes adjust to the new brightness.

Several white work tables lined the perimeter of the room, each cluttered with various tools, wires, blueprints, and bits of electronics. White metal cabinets hung on the walls behind them, floating shelves beneath piled with thick, heavy tomes and small plastic prototypes. There was a large screen covering the back wall, and a large projector loomed overhead. The room bore no windows, but there were small potted plants, succulents, and terrariums oddly crammed between equipment.

"This is my lab," explained Kaiba quietly, "if you couldn't figure that out just from looking."

He crossed through the room with a sweeping gait, his long legs cutting across and nearly leaving Jonouchi—trotting to keep along—behind before they stopped in front of wide metal double doors. Jonouchi made an uneasy face, but before he could say anything, Kaiba opened the doors, which led up into a private Dueling Arena, complete with what looked like a giant computer hanging from the ceiling on one side of the platform.

"That's the Dueling Machine. I have every deck of every professional Duel Monsters player uploaded into the system in real time. Every time they play a card, the Dueling Network updates their profile and allows me to practice against whichever player in the world I choose, as long as they use my Duel Disk technology."

Scoffing, Jonouchi crossed his arms and tapped his foot, taking in the expansive space. "Sounds like an unfair advantage to me. Didn't take you for a cheater," he teased.

"It's not cheating," snorted Kaiba as he rolled his eyes, "This is how the Dueling Network works. The Duel Disk allows players to upload information to the network via wifi, and unfortunately for them, it's my company's system. I made a few modifications to create this new program, but since it's never been implemented for the general dueling public, I've been using it. Users can still duel online against other players and edit their decks, but this is the only program in existence that allows you to duel an AI using established decks from professional players. You can work on your skills without risking your standings, and since it's still in beta testing, it's only appropriate that I test it out.

"If you still think it's cheating, though," continued Kaiba with a smirk, "You could just practice the old-fashioned way, but it'd be a waste of my resources."

"Whatever you say," Jonouchi remarked, reaching into his back pocket for his deck box. "I'll bet this thing knows more about my new deck than I do." He turned to Kaiba, a mirthless grin tugging at his lips. "I just signed up for an ass-kicking, didn't I?"

"Take heart, Jonouchi. At least this time someone's paying you for your futile efforts..."

Jonouchi resisted the urge to flip Kaiba the bird—it wouldn't do to completely piss off your boss on your first day of work. Oh god, Kaiba was his _boss_ now…

He jumped up onto the platform, taking his place behind the player station. He idly shuffled his cards before eyeing the AI system. "So what now? Do I gotta pick a player or something, or does the thing just randomly generate a deck?"

"Whichever you'd prefer," Kaiba replied back neutrally, "You can also set what level you want to play at, from beginner all the way to professional."

When Jonouchi appeared confused, Kaiba sighed and went over to the control room that sat to the side of the stage, where Jonouchi could only assume the technicians would sit if there had been any around. Apparently Kaiba didn't need any, because he seemed to be running the program just fine on his own. It was only a matter of minutes before he returned, standing against the wall with his arms crossed, looking smug.

"What did you just do?" asked Jonouchi wide-eyed, his expression more anxious than he probably would have liked it to be.

"Just setting the AI program so we can begin," answered Kaiba, his eyes betraying whatever excitement he was trying to hold back, "It's just turning on right now. It'll only take a few minutes before the computer wakes up and begins."

"What level did you set me at?"

"Professional," said Kaiba with a smirk, "Against my deck."

"You are such a _prick,_" Jonouchi laughed in shock, "But I guess I had that coming."

The Dueling Machine flickered to life, fans whirring and lights blinking. Five hologram cards appeared in front of it, and Jonouchi set his deck, drawing his own five cards.

Only a few turns went by before Jonouchi started to sweat. The computer was relentless, and every time Jonouchi thought he'd built a good strategy, the AI had been one step ahead of him, dispelling his trap and magic cards or summoning a stronger monster than his own. Jonouchi refused to forfeit, though, but before long, the program had drained him of all of his life points. He stood there flabbergasted, before he felt his anger start to rise.

"Motherfucker! Kaiba, you didn't help _at all_! What's with the silent treatment!?"

"Needed to study your moves," Kaiba replied back softly, fluttering his eyelashes as he tried restraining a small smile, "How can I help you if I don't understand how you think? We'll try again, this time against Yugi's deck."

Jonouchi sighed heavily, brusquely grabbing his cards and reshuffling. Slapping them against the countertop, he waited for Kaiba to set the next program.

Yugi's deck was at least less overwhelming than Kaiba's, at the beginning. It didn't have as many quick and incessant attacks, but it was just as tricky. There were plenty of magic and trap cards that came out of nowhere, knocking Jonouchi unexpectedly back, and without his dice cards for help, it made taking the upper hand back extremely difficult.

"You need to get Jinzo on the field," Kaiba offered after watching Jonouchi get hit a few times, "And stop the AI from potentially fusing a special summon monster. You know Yugi's cards aren't particularly powerful on their own."

"Yeah, but I have to _draw_ him first. Ugh," Jonouchi winced as he pulled yet another undesirable card. "How about some help with what I _do_ have? I know you can see my hand on that screen."

"Use Scapegoat as a buffer," advised Kaiba, "and Pot of Greed to get some better cards. Play Magical Arm Shield face-down."

"R-Right," Jonouchi said as he set the cards. He was a little upset at himself for not thinking of doing that on his own, but it was unsettling to have someone observe him so closely as he played. Especially Kaiba. Yugi was a different story—he'd been Jonouchi's mentor since day one, and besides, Yugi was a safe and warm presence. Encouraging. Kaiba, though… They were rivals, even if Kaiba didn't consider him as such. And although Jonouchi knew Kaiba wouldn't lead him astray, it was still hard to trust him.

"You're over-thinking the Duel, Jonouchi. It's just a computer, and I'm the only person watching right now."

The AI called forth Summoned Skull. It was far more powerful than anything Jonouchi had on his side of the field (which were Alligator Sword, the Scapegoats, and his face-down card), but at least he couldn't be attacked directly like Kaiba's deck had done before. Still, Summoned Skull was a formidable creature, and Jonouchi scrambled to think of a way to knock it out of the game.

That wasn't the only monster on the field, though. Yugi's Celtic Guardian, which wasn't very strong. Jonouchi wasn't very concerned about it, and suddenly a plan of action occurred to him.

When the computer attacked him, Jonouchi played the face-down card that Kaiba had suggested. It forced Summoned Skull to attack and destroy Celtic Guardian, bringing down the AI's life points in the process. Jonouchi couldn't help but whoop at his small victory, until he heard Kaiba clear his throat.

"You still need to bring that fiend down," Kaiba pointed out.

"I know that!" Jonouchi shot back, "Sorry for getting a little excited here."

"Now Shield and Sword," yelled Kaiba, "and you'd better hope the next card you draw is a decent monster if you expect to win."

Cringing at that comment, Jonouchi gave Kaiba a sour look before drawing, smiling when he realized his good luck. Rocket Warrior; it would be perfect to play so he could finally summon his Red-Eyes Black Dragon.

"I tribute my Alligator Sword with Rocket Warrior to summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon," Jonouchi called out, grinning a little despite himself as he slapped the card down on the disk's reader, "And one card face-down before ending my turn."

The AI made to attack, but Jonouchi merely tutted, a wide grin settling upon his face. "Not so fast—I reveal my face-down card, Shield and Sword! And now that my Red-Eyes has more attack points, it's goodbye Summoned Skull!"

The monster roared as it was burnt to embers, fading from the field. After that, the AI never seemed to recover, and along with some additional advice from Kaiba (some not fully appreciated), Jonouchi was able to make quick work of the AI's remaining life points. He'd won—by the skin of his teeth—but it was still a win.

He whooped loudly this time, not caring that Kaiba was watching. "Take that, you oversized computer!" he jeered, shaking a fist at the Dueling Machine. "Hey Kaiba, if you could defeat Yugi's deck on this AI, why couldn't you ever beat him in a real Duel?"

"Dueling the real Yugi is much different," Kaiba spat as he turned his eyes toward Jonouchi, not even hiding his displeasure at being spoken to over it, "You should know that. You've seen him duel. He's much more clever than some computer program..."

Jonouchi glowered at Kaiba, somewhat offended by the other's antagonistic scowl. "I wasn't trying to pick at you. It's just that you seem so prepared," he said, gesturing to the arena around him. "You know his deck inside and out, and yet he still manages to blindside you. Hell, everyone he plays," Jonouchi added quietly.

"Yugi is a gaming genius. If I knew why he kept beating me, I would have gotten my title back by now," Kaiba rolled his eyes before huffing to himself, "I've gone through every possibility that could occur while we duel, yet he always manages to surprise me. I haven't figured out how just yet, but I will."

Jonouchi didn't know about that, but he decided to keep his mouth shut. From what he knew of his best friend, the guy was unbeatable—a league of his own. It just surprised him that Kaiba would admit as much. Giving Kaiba a lopsided smile, Jonouchi called out, "How about another round? Let's mix it up and play one of the random decks—what d'ya say?"

Kaiba merely nodded, his fingers flying across the keyboard.


	8. Chapter 8

The following afternoon, Jonouchi arrived at Kaiba Mansion with a box full of his entire wardrobe. He'd precariously strapped it to the back of his Harley, praying to whatever gods that would listen that it wouldn't teeter over and spill his threadbare and worn clothes all over the streets of Domino. His morning already hadn't gone as planned—his father had actually been up early for once, and so Jonouchi had needed to wait until his father had disappeared to who knows where to pack everything up—so he definitely didn't need any additional hiccups during his day. The last thing he wanted to do was piss Kaiba off for arriving too late.

Jonouchi was surprised that the front gate automatically opened for him when he pulled up, the security guard monitoring the intercom passing him through without a word. Kaiba must have informed them of Jonouchi's new status, apparently. Slowly rolling up to the entrance of the house, Jonouchi killed the engine and popped out the kickstand, leaving the bike to the side of the curved driveway.

Deciding to try his luck again, he hopped up the front steps and pressed on the door; it opened with a small creak. Grinning to himself, he adjusted his grip on the box and shoved his way in, kicking the door closed and pulling off his shoes with his feet. Jonouchi noticed several sets of house shoes laid out, and toeing those on, he took a cursory look around. No one came to greet him, so Jonouchi made his way upstairs, trying his best to retrace the path he'd been led on the day prior.

He got lost a few times, entering wings that looked completely unfamiliar and meeting a couple of dead ends. Just how big was this place, anyway? And who the hell needed to live in a place this big? Huffing, Jonouchi found his way back to the top of the staircase and tried again, his arms starting to ache.

When he arrived at a door that was slightly cracked open, the sounds of a keyboard faint against the reporting of a news anchor, Jonouchi inwardly sighed with relief. Bumping the door open with his hip, he barged into Kaiba's office. "Reporting for duty, _boss_."

"I'm not done quite yet. Take a seat; I'll be with you shortly."

Jonouchi snorted but complied, dropping the box down haphazardly beside Kaiba's desk and throwing himself into a chair. He shook his arms out and exhaled loudly—while he was in shape, clothes were deceptively heavy.

"You know, Jonouchi," Kaiba said as he broke the silence, "most of my employees call me 'Kaiba-sama' instead of 'boss'..."

"Should've written it into the contract, then," chuckled Jonouchi. He rarely used honorifics as it was—like Kaiba of all people would be gifted with one.

"Hmm. Maybe I should make you known as 'deadbeat,' then. Keep that happy nickname alive..."

Jonouchi rolled his eyes, allowing the comment to slide off him. "I thought you were supposed to be promoting my career, not sabotaging it."

"Fine. How does '_underdog_' sound?"

He could feel his eye start to twitch, but Jonouchi tried hard not to blow up just after arriving. Kaiba was just trying to bait him, the fucker. "Hey, it's your marketing decision. Although I don't think it'll stick much after everyone sees my bite," he replied easily, flashing his teeth.

Snorting, Kaiba just rolled his eyes, continuing to type without missing a beat.

"You sound pretty confident over that," he continued, "Have you thought about what you're going to do about your deck since yesterday's little training matches?"

"Like I could afford to lose," Jonouchi laughed. He sat back and cupped his chin in one hand, contemplating Kaiba's question. "Hmm, not really. Although I do feel a little more comfortable with it, but it still isn't the same. You were watching the entire time—have any suggestions?"

"I have some ideas," replied Kaiba, "but it largely depends on your personal dueling style. Are you still striving to continue your gamble-based deck, or are you willing to try new things?"

Jonouchi tapped a finger against his chin, once more lost in thought. "No offense, but I think I want to keep it as close to my original deck as possible. Gamble cards are just my style, so I don't want to lose that."

"Is there _anything _you'd be willing to change, then?"

"I wouldn't mind changing up the monsters or adding some new magic cards. I think I have pretty good traps, though. I just don't want to end up with a deck that doesn't feel like...me," Jonouchi said.

"What about your clothes," Kaiba pointed out, eyeing Jonouchi up and down without even trying to hide his judgmental stare, "What are you going to do about that? Any ideas?"

Jonouchi quirked an eyebrow—was Kaiba for real? "I thought that's why I was here," he intoned, pointing to the box he'd unceremoniously dumped by Kaiba's desk. "You asked for all my clothes yesterday, so I figured you must have some sort of plan for me."

"I do."

Without explaining further, Kaiba picked up his phone and spoke to someone quickly before moving to stand right in front of Jonouchi. His eyes were intense: blue gaze set sternly upon Jonouchi's form before Kaiba boldly touched a lock of hair off Jonouchi's head, snorting before suddenly snapping his fingers loudly.

All of a sudden a host of servants rushed in, pushing three racks full of clothing, along with two large carts of boots, shoes, bags, belts, hats, and other accessories. Everything appeared expensive, and Jonouchi could make out more than one major label on the tags as he gaped at the stockpile before the servants quickly disappeared again.

"I made an educated guess over your size," remarked Kaiba, "but that doesn't matter. What doesn't fit can be tailored. You can have whatever you want here. I've already approved it. Once you're done, we'll go through what you have already."

Jonouchi stared at Kaiba, trying to process what had just happened. Still in shock, he walked over to one of the racks and absently flicked through the hangers of clothes. "Um, thanks? I don't know if I should be appreciative or creeped out by the amount of thought you put into this…"

The clothes were all things that would grab Jonouchi's attention at the mall but he never had the money to afford. They had a modern and urban flair without appearing too stuffy, still keeping his relaxed style but with a little more sophistication and much better quality. The jeans were slightly different than his usual style, though—they seemed to have a closer fit and lower rise. Pulling a pair off the rack, he examined the size—a perfect match—and eyed Kaiba. "So what, do I gotta try all these on now?"

"Whichever you plan on keeping, yes."

"Okay…" Reaching for the hem of his shirt, he tugged it up a few inches before stopping abruptly. "Wait, aren't you gonna...y'know, _leave_?"

Kaiba sighed, rolling his eyes dramatically like Jonouchi had been a child saying a silly thing. "We're both men, Jonouchi. Don't be such a girl. Besides, you have a lot of clothes to get through, and I'm not going to kick myself off my computer because you're all shy about being seen in your underwear. Grow up."

Jonouchi scowled at Kaiba, still a bit scandalized and slightly irritated at being called immature. He didn't recall signing his _privacy_ away in that contract… "Fine, whatever," he grumbled, tugging his shirt off and tossing it over the top of his chair. He reached for the first shirt on the closest rack, examining it before pulling it off its hanger.

"You don't need to make such a show about it either," snickered Kaiba as he flashed his eyes up quickly and smirked.

Snorting, Jonouchi pulled the shirt on, smoothing it across his torso. "Yeah, I should charge you extra for it."

Kaiba didn't reply. His focus returned to his computer, eyes stuck to the screen as the sound of light typing continued.

Feeling a little more at ease now that Kaiba didn't seem to be paying much attention to him, Jonouchi decided to get on with the little fashion show. The faster he was able to work his way through the racks, the less time he had to spend traipsing around Kaiba's study in his underwear. He slipped out of his house shoes, kicking them aside before hesitating, fingering the top button of his jeans. Deciding to just get it over with, he popped the button and unzipped the pants, brusquely pushing them down and stepping out of them, leaving them pooled on the floor.

Glancing up for a second, Kaiba took a quick look right as his continuous typing suddenly stopped, the rhythm breaking before he caught himself and began focusing on his work again. When Jonouchi turned and looked at Kaiba confusedly, the latter's face was neutral; there were no signs of blushing, nor did his eyes look anything but indifferent.

He must be over-sensitive, then. The slight pause in Kaiba's typing caught Jonouchi off-guard, but Kaiba appeared to be doing nothing more than working on his computer—he was intently looking at his screen, fingers clacking against the keys.

Whatever. Grabbing a new pair of jeans, he bent to step one leg into them. As expected, it was a little harder to get into these—the material clung against the muscles of his calf, and he had to tug the leg up in stages before he got it to his knee. He stepped into the other leg with trepidation, duplicating the process before fixing Kaiba with an exasperated look. "Kaiba, I'm sure you noticed, but I don't exactly wear shit this tight. I mean, geez, I can barely get these up my legs."

"But you did get them on," Kaiba snarked. "As long as you don't get fat anytime soon, I don't see a problem. Besides, skinny jeans will make your ass look better. Don't complain so much."

Jonouchi snorted loudly, wiggling the jeans up over his hips with some effort. He was relieved he was actually able to zip them closed. "Psh, as if. You didn't tell me that selling my _ass_ was part of your marketing scheme." He brushed his hands over the front of the pants, bending his knees a little to test the stretch and running his hands over the back pockets.

"It's more a personal taste of mine, you could say..."

"Huh," Jonouchi remarked and he continued to test out the pants, "Well, some of us guys prefer our balls to have some space to breathe." If this was what cotton felt like, Jonouchi sure as hell didn't know how Kaiba dealt with wearing skin-tight leather on the regular.

"And some just go commando," remarked Kaiba as he finally looked up and laughed, his eyes flashing darkly at Jonouchi before he folded his arms and dropped his chin into the palm of his hand, "Not that I'm suggesting you do that. What you do with your genitals is none of my business, but I'm sure you'll find some way to cope with the change."

Jonouchi felt a shiver trill up his spine. "Ugh, I really didn't need to know that," he muttered, turning his face away from Kaiba. "But I guess these aren't so bad, just different." It seemed the general shift in fashion was toward tight-fitting pants, and Jonouchi was sure Kaiba wouldn't make him look like a clown. He would get used to it.

"I guess this shirt's okay," he said, mainly to himself. He pulled it off and tossed it over the rack, reaching for the next.

"You're so wide in the shoulders, I had to buy American brands for them," said Kaiba as he looked up again briefly, "although I frequently do the same thing for my own clothes. I'm surprised your hips are narrow enough to fit Japanese jeans."

"I guess it comes with being half," Jonouchi surmised as he slipped the shirt over his head, "You get a mix of both here and there. My old man's pretty broad."

"Fascinating."

Jonouchi hummed under his breath as he continued to work his way through the selection of clothes. He was surprised most seemed to fit him well—only a few button-down shirts needed any tailoring, and only two pairs of shoes didn't fit. Kaiba was freakishly good at assessing based off observation, apparently. Jonouchi got all the way through the last rack when he noticed that the last piece was a formal business suit.

The light gray material was substantive yet soft. The white Oxford shirt had been pressed and starched, and Jonouchi nearly snorted when he noticed its subtle sheen. A black silk tie had been selected to finish it off. Stripping out of the ensemble he currently had on, Jonouchi slipped the shirt on first, not really caring that he was standing around in his boxers. The pants came next, and although the fit was trim, they were comfortable while still being stylish. He threaded the belt through the loops, nearly snorting again when he noticed the KC emblem on the buckle. The jacket soon followed, and then Jonouchi draped the tie over his neck, staring down at it while holding both ends in either hand. Crossing one side over the other experimentally, he fiddled with it before becoming frustrated and letting out a long sigh.

"Come here, you oaf."

Kaiba got up from his chair and gestured Jonouchi over like someone's irritated mother, his eyes displaying a crossed expression as he sighed loudly. Once Jonouchi was standing within arm's distance, he closed the gap and expertly did the man's tie, weaving the tails over each other and securing the knot into place. Once Kaiba was done, he lightly flicked Jonouchi's hair before waving him away and returning to his desk chair.

"I suggest you figure out how to do that yourself, since you'll be expected to come to Kaiba Corporation's formal functions."

Toying with the dangling cloth, Jonouchi inspected the suit before turning back to Kaiba. It was surprisingly comfortable—no wonder Kaiba didn't seem to mind wearing them all the time; his own must be unbelievably nicer than the one Jonouchi was currently wearing. "So, how do I look?" Jonouchi asked, spreading his arms out to the sides.

"Infinitely better than you did before," Kaiba answered without hesitation, "Not in small thanks to my help."

Jonouchi merely gave Kaiba a flat look before turning his attention back to the suit, criss-crossing his arms back and forth in front of him, bouncing a little on his heels. "I've never worn a suit before, so I'm not really sure how they're supposed to look and feel... It's a little strange."

"Sometimes strange is good."

"I suppose." Moving forward to Kaiba's desk, Jonouchi bent to open the large cardboard box beside it. "So now that I've gone along and played dress-up, I guess it's your turn to go through these," he said, taking out a few items.

"Well, now that you know what you can have, you tell me what you want to keep," answered Kaiba with a sigh. "I'm not going to go looking through your nasty clothes. Use some common sense and figure out for yourself what's worth keeping."

Lowering his eyes, Jonouchi sneered at Kaiba, "If you were going to have me look through these myself, then why the hell did I have to drag them all over here in the first place?"

"So I can give my consent afterward."

Groaning, Jonouchi shuffled back over to the racks of clothing. "Since I'm getting this whole makeover thing, I guess this means I shouldn't even bother changing back into my old clothes, huh?" He grabbed a pair of light jeans that were a bit looser-fitting than the rest and a random T-shirt, carefully removing the suit and putting it back on its hangers.

"I don't have a problem with what you wore here, Jonouchi. But you have to ask yourself, what's the reason for keeping them when you have better things now? Your old pants were worn-out and fading, and your shirt barely fit you. Besides just being difficult, what's your reason for keeping them, hmm?"

Kaiba looked up, his eyes intense and searching for a good explanation. Jonouchi immediately felt uncomfortable under that gaze, his eyes shifting back towards his heap of old clothes before he swallowed. His throat felt dry.

"...Because they're mine. Do I have to have a better reason?" Jonouchi had bought them with his own hard-earned money. Had selected them—some even during outings when Atem had still been around. They might've been cheap, crappy clothes, but they had memories attached to them—every rip, hole, and stain.

"Fine. Be difficult, then. Just don't wear them while working," instructed Kaiba dismissively.

Jonouchi felt anxiety well in the bottom of his stomach. Great, second day on the job and he was fucking up already. "No, it's fine… You're right. Most of this stuff's old or full of grease, anyway," he said quietly. He changed into the new clothes wordlessly, returning to his box after he was done. Jonouchi rummaged through it, pulling out a hoodie, two T-shirts, and the green jacket he'd worn during Duelist Kingdom, where his whole adventure as a Duelist really began. One shirt had been a gift from Shizuka, the other the one he'd worn during Battle City. He dug around a little deeper before recovering his sneakers. They were old but still in relatively good condition, only slight fraying around the knife slit in the tongue, but most importantly, they were his lucky charm. "I'll just keep these."

Kaiba said nothing. He turned his attention back towards the monitor in front of him, his eyes giving away his slight irritation as he began to type in earnest again. Really, Jonouchi was thankful for the new clothes. It was the kind of thing he'd always wished he could afford himself, but dealing with Kaiba's attitude was wearing.

Also, what would his father think when he started walking around looking like some uptown yuppie?

He'd just have to deal with it when the time came. Jonouchi was used to deflecting his father's attention, and besides, he was an adult now. He wouldn't have to justify himself so much (at least he hoped), and if looking like an uptown yuppie meant five-hundred thousand yen in his pocket each month, Jonouchi could adjust. Not that his father had to know that…

Grabbing a random backpack off a shelf, Jonouchi stuffed his old items into it and set it upon the chair. "So…" he began nervously, "are we done here?"

"Yes."

"...Okay then." Shouldering his bag, he eyed the racks of clothing once more. "Is it okay if I leave these here for now? I can take a few things, but I don't think I can manage carrying all of this back on my bike." That, and his father would _definitely_ question him if he showed up with a box full of expensive clothing, not to mention a freaking suit from Express, of all places.

"Pick a room here and keep it there for later. I don't really care what you do."

Jonouchi grabbed a few items off the racks and packed them into the backpack, as well. "Seeing as I have no idea around this maze you call a mansion, how about a little help? Unless you want me peeping into all the rooms in this hallway," he asserted.

"There's a free room to the left of this office," sighed Kaiba, "Just pick that one. Unless you can't handle four feet down the hallway, you won't get lost."

Fighting the urge to make an obscene gesture at Kaiba, Jonouchi dropped his bag and hooked an arm around one of the racks, wheeling it over to the designated room. It took him a good five minutes to relocate everything, and Jonouchi almost regretted not keeping at least one pair of his old jeans—he was still acclimating to the tightness of the new ones, and the restriction made manual labor difficult.

Returning to Kaiba's office, he reclaimed his bag, touching two fingers to his temple in a mock salute, "See you later, then."

"Yeah, I'm sure I will," snickered Kaiba as he briefly smirked just when Jonouchi was walking halfway out of the door, "but hopefully with clothes on the whole time, for your sake."

Jonouchi was more successful on his exodus from the mansion, only making one wrong turn before quickly realizing his error. Strangely, he still didn't see any staff members, and so he silently let himself out, pulling on his shoes and shutting the door behind him. He was glad that he didn't have to balance a heavy box on his return trip home, but leaving more than half of his new clothes behind only meant that Jonouchi would have to make a number of return visits to Kaiba's house.

The thought actually didn't bother him so much. His past few interactions with Kaiba had been pleasant, overall. Kickstarting his bike, Jonouchi slowly made his way back onto the main streets of Domino. Despite Kaiba's rather gruff attitude, Jonouchi truly was grateful for the new clothes, even if he hadn't had the opportunity to pick them out himself. They still had matched his personality and taste, and Jonouchi acknowledged that Kaiba must have put considerable thought into each piece.

It wasn't until Jonouchi had arrived at his neighborhood that Kaiba's parting words finally struck him as odd. What did Kaiba even mean when he said "with clothes on," for Jonouchi's own sake?

He decided not to ponder too much on it. Probably Kaiba just trying to fuck with him yet again.

No one was home when Jonouchi stepped inside his apartment. For once, the neighborhood was relatively quiet. He didn't hear sirens or any loud screaming echoing through the alleyway, and lying on the broken sofa he'd picked up at a pawn shop, Jonouchi relaxed and shut his eyes.

Kaiba had given him so many clothes. There were more than he knew what to do with. Somehow he'd need to transfer everything home and manage to hide it from his father. No doubt, Jonouchi senior would act out if he found all that designer name crap in Jonouchi's room with the tags still on. He'd probably think Jonouchi had stolen them.

Or worse.

Sighing, Jonouchi combed his hands through his hair and grumbled. If only he lived by himself. Now that he had the money, he could move uptown. Central would be nice, and he could afford a decent apartment. A simple studio would be enough for him, but leaving his dad would be wrong. They didn't get along, but he was all Jonouchi had.

Jonouchi hadn't realized that he'd dozed off until he was awakened by a sharp stinging in his right cheek. Eyes flying open, he grabbed his face with one hand and flailed around with the other. "What the fuck!" The stench of cheap whiskey assaulted his senses. Double fuck.

"Oyaji, what the hell! You can't just go around smacking people like that," Jonouchi scowled, rubbing his face. Sitting upright, an envelope slid off his chest and onto the floor, but he ignored it. He had bigger issues to deal with than sating his curiosity.

Jonouchi senior was stumbling around the small apartment, muttering darkly to himself. Jonouchi watched him warily, unsure if it was a smart idea to engage or not, or even if he wanted to. Sure, he could always lock himself in his room, but there was no guarantee his father wouldn't bust the door down or have the cops called on him for trying. Taking a deep breath, Jonouchi decided to just face the problem head-on and hopefully get whatever had his father in a mood over with.

His father was crouching in the kitchen, head and shoulders almost entirely inside the cabinet underneath the sink. He'd knocked several items over and disemboweled much of the contents of the cabinet itself, various bottles and jars askew, cleaning fluid slowly seeping across the kitchen floor.

"What're you…" Jonouchi started but was interrupted by a sharp guffaw, his father shimmying backwards and out from under the space. He was chuckling almost menacingly, and Jonouchi swallowed hard when he noticed what his father was clutching to his chest.

He thought he had cleared out the apartment long ago when his father had first sought help, but clearly long-term rehabilitation had never been one of his father's goals.

Cracking open a can of cheap beer, Jonouchi's father drank deeply from it before wiping his mouth on the back of his arm, the other still grasping onto the six-pack possessively. Jonouchi grimaced. He would have one hell of a time prying those out of his father's hold, if he could even manage that.

His father's eyes narrowed, finally focusing on Jonouchi. "I'll tell you what, son," he began, his mouth twisting up into a smirk, "never fuckin' trust a woman." He paused to take another swig from the can, tipping it towards Jonouchi in a mock-toast. "Bitches are all banshees that'll bleed ya fuckin' dry. Even when they're done with ya, they'll still try to lead you around by the balls."

Jonouchi sighed, cocking an eyebrow. "Yeah? What now, get played by some hooker again?"

Jonouchi senior snorted loudly, slapping one of his thighs as he laughed boorishly. "Hookers are one 'n done, son. They're th' safest kinda woman, but don't trust 'em, either." He crushed the can in his hand and tossed it aside, reaching for a new one. "No, _your father_," he emphasized the title, "is getting played by the biggest fuckin' whore of 'em all—the one you think is safe and even fuckin' take down the aisle." He snorted around his drink.

"What does Kaa-san have to do with any of this," Jonouchi ventured hesitantly. He was pretty sure entertaining the enraged tirades of a drunkard probably wasn't the smartest thing to do.

"Tch. Fuckin' cunt thinks she can control me..._use_ me...after she threw me away like fucking trash. Kiss my fuckin' ass…" his father grumbled.

Feeling his blood begin to boil, Jonouchi had had enough. He tried not to take what his father said to heart, and he was used to bearing the brunt of his father's anger, but it was another story altogether for his father to insult his mother like that in front of him. She was still his mother, even if she had abandoned him as well.

"Alright, I think you've had enough," Jonouchi said, stooping down to yank his father's arm. But his father was a deadweight, refusing to budge. He still gripped the beer can tightly, its contents sloshing onto Jonouchi's new shirt. Irritated, Jonouchi smacked his father's hand sharply, flinging the drink onto the floor.

That had done it.

With almost hyper agility, Jonouchi senior sprang forth, shoving Jonouchi back hard and then twisting his fists onto Jonouchi's shirt. He loomed heavily over Jonouchi, beady eyes narrowing to slits. "The fuck you think you are, kid?"

"The person keeping a roof over your head, you stupid-ass drunk."

Sure, it was his father who was pinning him against a wall, and he was stronger than Jonouchi could remember, but he wasn't going to let his new clothes become ruined. Not from the drunken idiot who stole his money and used his things and then disappeared for days because he got fired from a job.

Jonouchi was sick of it. He grabbed his father's wrists, twisting them hard enough until the grip was loose, and then once he was safe from having his shirt collar ripped, he gave his father a swift punch under the ribs and knocked him in the back, successfully grounding him.

Jonouchi senior fell like a ton of rocks, hitting the floor hard as a groan echoed in the room. His eyes were closed, and for once, Jonouchi didn't feel so bad about putting him there. Maybe now that he was passed out, he'd shut up and go to sleep.

Sighing, Jonouchi pushed back his hair again before bending down to grab under his father's armpits. He hoisted him up onto the couch and took off his shoes, placing them by the front door. He frowned; his father always ignored the house shoes. Why, Jonouchi never quite understood.

"Why did I have to get such a useless drunk for a father?" he mused out loud. There was no answer besides loud snoring.

Rolling his eyes, Jonouchi returned to the large six-pack that sat in the kitchen. He grit his teeth, almost tempted for a moment to just drink all of them himself just for having to deal with his dad, but he knew better. Opening the tops of the cans, Jonouchi dumped all the contents out into the sink before throwing them into a bag for returning back to the grocery store. Maybe if he was lucky, he'd get a few cents out of them.

Once finished, Jonouchi locked himself into the safety of his bedroom. At least now his dad couldn't surprise him awake by attacking him in the middle of the night. But by the looks of things, it appeared that Jonouchi senior was down for the count and wouldn't be up until morning. By then, he'd be sober and embarrassed at having acted out the night before, and Jonouchi would be met with half-apologies before his dad would disappear for work or wherever he decided to go that day.

No wonder his mother got sick of his father. Jonouchi could hardly deal with the cycle himself anymore.

But in the morning, Jonouchi awoke to an empty apartment. The couch was vacant, and checking his father's room proved the same. Jonouchi was surprised that he hadn't heard his father leave, but at least his old man had gathered enough sense to lock the door behind him.

He'd probably scuttled away back to the bars, to drink and gamble away money he didn't have. It was frustrating to deal with, but Jonouchi was determined to not let it ruin his day. If his father wanted to add to his already long list of poor life decisions, then fuck him.

Dropping onto the couch, Jonouchi pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes and counted downwards from ten, exhaling slowly. When he opened his eyes, a strip of white by his foot caught his attention, and he half-heartedly fumbled around for it until it was in his hands.

Oh yeah, it was what his father had smacked him with the previous night. Flipping the plain envelope around, it took Jonouchi two reads before it dawned on him who the sender was.

Kawai.


	9. Chapter 9

It had taken Jonouchi three whole weeks before he managed to funnel all of the new clothes from Kaiba's house to his apartment. He'd arrive early in the afternoon, and Kaiba would put him to work—either against his Dueling Machine, quizzing him on various card rules, or making him watch tapes of old tournaments.

When Jonouchi had questioned him over the purpose of watching other Duelists when he was still ranked pretty highly, Kaiba had given him a long-suffering look. "You need to know your opponents and their playing styles. Even the lower-ranked Duelists are still professionals, so you may cross paths eventually. Besides, you'll quickly discover what _not_ to do."

Jonouchi had wanted to stick his tongue out in reply, but he reined in his childish antics and sat through the videos, anyway. Most had been pretty boring, and his fingers itched to hit the fast-forward button, but a handful were actually interesting—some even bringing Jonouchi to the edge of his seat.

He was completely taken aback one time after he'd queued up the next video and found Kaiba staring back at him. A young Kaiba, anyway, from the days before Jonouchi and his friends had ever met him. It was strange to see this Kaiba, who was all seriousness edged with malicious zeal. The image brought back uncomfortable memories Jonouchi had long pushed aside, leaving him feeling somewhat tense underneath his skin, but Jonouchi had to admit that even all those years ago, Kaiba had been a genius.

But he was different now. Still a genius—that went without saying—but the malice had ebbed away, replaced by a taciturn personality and a rather dry, wicked sense of humor. Thinking back, Jonouchi conceded that the past three weeks hadn't been bad by any means, and he was beginning to feel altogether silly over his initial apprehension over the whole sponsorship deal. Most days, he'd been holed up at Kaiba's mansion, but Kaiba had never made him feel unwelcome. Little by little, he was starting to get to know his former classmate better, through snippets of light conversation and ample opportunities for observation.

Kaiba just seemed unwilling to warm up to anyone. Jonouchi watched him frequently. Whenever he was around other people, he kept his responses very curt and to the point, as if to avoid any kind of unnecessary socializing. People seemed to be aware of that, not overstaying their invitations to talk to him, and Kaiba practically boarded himself up in his home office for hours at a time, not even coming out for meals.

He was rather strange. More strange than Jonouchi thought before, when they hadn't been on good speaking terms. Kaiba wasn't so much as friendly towards him as tolerant, only occasionally making a few humorous quips at Jonouchi's expense, but not many. Jonouchi wasn't sure if it was sheer will or just Kaiba's personality that kept them at such a distance. Now that he was a professional Duelist under Kaiba's tutelage, it was becoming rather draining to spend so many hours a day with someone who refused to become actual friends.

Sure, Jonouchi was working for him, in a way, but hadn't he worked hard enough to have their relationship mean something more than just a monthly paycheck?

He was beginning to wonder whether it was even worth it to try asking the other man to meet him someplace outside the mansion for a purpose other than work. They hadn't really hung out since the time Jonouchi had strong-armed Kaiba into eating lunch with him, but Jonouchi didn't have the slightest clue as to how he should even broach the subject.

"_Hey Kaiba, you hungry? Let's get something to eat together_!"

It was easier to do with normal people. For some reason, Kaiba had decided to remain unsocial and walled up by choice, and Jonouchi could hardly understand it. They didn't even fight that much, since Jonouchi finally learned to curb himself from trying to pick one with him.

He wasn't going to fuck up a good thing by being a loud mouth again.

If Jonouchi played his cards right, he and Kaiba would eventually teeter over the line of friendship that they were currently balancing upon. It wasn't like Kaiba tolerated many people or actively engaged with others as much as he had with Jonouchi for the past three weeks. That had to count for something, right?

Sure, Jonouchi had initially accepted the sponsorship for practical reasons: he needed the money (even more so now, given his mother's latest communication), and Kaiba's offer was the only serious opportunity he'd landed to kickstart his career. But being with Kaiba day in and day out had given him a new perspective on the man, and Jonouchi found his apprehension fading, replaced by intense curiosity.

Since day one, all he had ever wanted out of Kaiba was friendship, after all, and years later, they were finally at the threshold of one. All Kaiba needed was a little push.

So it came as a total surprise when Kaiba called him up out of the blue, asking Jonouchi to accompany him to a meeting with one of the local tournament organizers over lunch. Jonouchi had been speechless, leading Kaiba to patiently explain that it would be beneficial for him to become a familiar face with other industry professionals. "Just think of it as a different kind of game, and you're trying to win them over."

Jonouchi had accepted, of course, marveling to himself at the serendipity of it all. Sure, it was still a business-focused outing, but at least they would be escaping from Kaiba's little hidey-hole and venturing out into the real world again.

He had just been turning the lock to his apartment when he received a second call from Kaiba. There had been a misplaced shipment, and the organizers had been so sorry, but could they please push the meeting to dinner? Kaiba had sounded only mildly irritated, and Jonouchi was thankful he hadn't made his way to the bus stop already.

Agreeing to the later time, Jonouchi let himself back inside and sank onto the couch. Rummaging in his pockets, he took out the silver business card holder embossed with the KaibaCorp logo. Flipping it open, he slid a card out and ran a finger over the raised kanji of his name, wondering if he should bother to change his clothes.

* * *

Sitting alone in the darkness of the Kaiba Corporation executive office, Kaiba debated whether he should leave early or just arrive at dinner whenever he damned pleased. Sure, it wasn't his hosts' fault that they pushed the dinner late, but it still irked him nonetheless. He had nothing better to do that night (thanks to Mokuba's continued silent treatment), but Kaiba hated social dinners. It was a giant excuse for people to get drunk and act like fools.

He'd had enough experience with it. Kaiba liked to maintain an air of self-control, but in small group settings around people he didn't know or didn't like, he fell into the habit of taking the edge off with alcohol. While he wasn't as bad as his late stepfather had been at controlling himself—Gozaburo had frequently shown up at events already boozed up—Kaiba knew he was a sad drinker. At least when he had a good buzz going, he could pretend to be friendly to the morons who surrounded him.

Sorting through his emails, Kaiba wondered whether he'd even try remaining sober that night. He knew everyone who would be there. The organizers were local and not that big, thankfully. Kaiba would be the most well-known and powerful man there. Everyone at the dinner would be male, and despite all the showboating that would probably occur, the majority of the time would be spent ass-kissing him. Kaiba was sure of it. They needed his support more than Kaiba needed them.

Before he knew it, his calendar alarm chirped, informing him that his dinner meeting was in fifteen minutes. It would take ten minutes to drive there, and punctuality winning over spite, Kaiba sighed as he logged off his computer and gathered his briefcase. Maybe if he got there early enough, he could hit the bar before anyone even showed up.

It was quite the shock when he arrived (eight minutes early, thanks to a heavy foot and catching all the green lights) and found Jonouchi already sitting at the bar, glass in hand. Kaiba was thankful that Jonouchi had the good sense to dress in a suit for this engagement, and he took a moment to stand back with an appreciative eye. The gray suit fit Jonouchi well and gave him an air of sophistication not normally associated with the blond.

Although, he looked a little nervous. Jonouchi was trailing a finger around the lip of his glass, one leg bobbing up and down against his barstool. Kaiba filed the information away—he would have to do something about Jonouchi's nervous habits.

Straightening his own tie, Kaiba approached the bar swiftly, gingerly weaving his way through the crowd and settling wordlessly onto the barstool next to Jonouchi's.

Jonouchi was still fiddling with his glass, his expression intent and somewhat strained. Kaiba hid a chuckle, although an amused smirk escaped and spread across his mouth. Slowly he crossed his legs and turned them parallel to the bar, giving the pole of Jonouchi's seat a light kick.

He'd nearly knocked his glass over. Jonouchi spun towards Kaiba's direction quickly, a huge scowl written across his face before he registered who his company was. The expression deflated into a slightly scandalized glowering, the insult he'd been ready to hurl bitten on his tongue. Jonouchi exhaled loudly through his nose. "What the heck kinda greeting was that?" he muttered.

"Are you always in the habit of pre-gaming before a business dinner, Jonouchi?" Kaiba asked bluntly as he ignored the question, "I don't want to have to deal with you if you get too drunk."

"I wouldn't call it a habit just yet, seeing as this is my first meeting, so I'll have to let you know later," Jonouchi replied dryly. "Anyways, what's one drink to settle some nerves? It's not like I do this all the time." There was something else in Jonouchi's expression that Kaiba couldn't pinpoint.

"Then why are you doing it at all," Kaiba said.

Jonouchi resumed his fiddling, this time sliding the near-empty glass on the bar from hand to hand. "I don't know. A lot on my mind, lately. It's nothing."

"Good. I need you focused tonight."

Getting up, Kaiba motioned for Jonouchi to follow before dropping some money to cover the bill. He walked off quickly, heading straight towards the hostess and giving the name of their party before and being led to their table.

Thankfully, as Kaiba had requested, their meal would be private, in a room away from the main dining area. The restaurant was nicer than Kaiba had anticipated, and taking a seat at the far side of the round table, he wasn't at all surprised when Jonouchi slid all the way over to his side so he could sit at Kaiba's left.

Kaiba turned toward him slightly, as Jonouchi continued fiddling with his hands. His hair seemed like it had been tamed by some sort of product. Maybe Jonouchi was finally taking himself a bit more seriously.

They had just given the waitress their drink order when the doors to the room opened, boisterous conversation trailing in. Their dinner companions had arrived (three minutes late, Kaiba noted), and Kaiba took a deep breath before nudging Jonouchi with his elbow. He stood but did not move to meet the other businessmen, electing to have them come to him instead.

"Kaiba-sama, so sorry for the inconvenience!" the first one, a rather plump and short man in his late fifties, exclaimed.

"Not at all, Yoshitaka-san," Kaiba said, accepting the man's extended hand. He accepted the other three businessmen's greetings before turning to his left. "Gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to Kaiba Corporation's latest sponsored Duelist, Jonouchi Katsuya-san."

Jonouchi's eyes widened fractionally at the honorific, and Kaiba bit back a laugh as Jonouchi bowed low, offering his business card to Yoshitaka with two hands. Kaiba hadn't drilled business etiquette into Jonouchi yet, so he found himself pleased that Jonouchi had learned this ritual somewhere along the line.

"Oh, Jonouchi-san! Nice to meet you!" Yoshitaka said, taking the business card and clapping Jonouchi roughly on the back. He reached into his breast pocket and procured his own card, offering it to Jonouchi in the same manner. "And allow me to introduce my associates. Here we have Oda-san, Hayashi-san, and Ichikawa-san."

Jonouchi bowed again, repeating the ritual three additional times. "It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Jonouchi Katsuya. I am in your care."

Jonouchi looked so uncomfortable and stiff, Kaiba almost felt a little bad for him. While this meeting was relatively low-risk for a baptism of fire, Yoshitaka and his associates were a rowdy bunch and at times difficult to handle. And add the absurd amount of alcohol they were bound to consume that night...well, upon reflection, Kaiba couldn't really blame Jonouchi for pre-gaming.

Yoshitaka ordered dinner for the entire party, and a ridiculous amount of food was set on the table for them. Jonouchi looked like he had died and gone to heaven. Kaiba could tell he was trying hard to curb himself from eating too quickly than what was socially appropriate, but still, there was a look of desire over him each time he gazed upon the table.

Kaiba didn't feel such hunger; he ate out of politeness. Trying a little bit of everything, Kaiba followed their conversations with the proper amount of enthusiasm and poured sake for his nearby companions. From the looks of it, Jonouchi needed it.

"So, Kaiba-sama," asked Ichikawa, "what made you decide to take on a Duelist for sponsorship? We all remember in the past how hard you were on other competitors. We were all astonished when we heard you actually decided to invest in someone besides yourself."

"Jonouchi-san and I," Kaiba began as he glanced toward the other's direction, whose mouth was currently full of food, "have known each other for several years. We were in the same class during high school, and I have been following his career for some time. I felt like he worked hard enough to deserve the sponsorship."

"How interesting," commented Yoshitaka, "and you didn't decide to invest in Mutou Yugi? Everyone says he's a gaming genius."

"I don't find any kind of personal enjoyment in assisting someone's career who almost ruined my own," explained Kaiba curtly.

"Yu- I mean, Mutou-san is taking a break in Cairo," Jonouchi piped in, giving Kaiba a pointed look. "He'll be back to dueling in no time." Kaiba merely raised an eyebrow but did not comment.

"You two are close friends, aren't you?" asked Hayashi, "I've seen you two together in the papers before."

Sitting up a bit more straight, Jonouchi replied, "Yes, Mutou-san is my best friend. We've also known each other since high school, along with Kaiba-sama."

Jonouchi had pulled a bit of a face around the honorific, and Kaiba hid his smirk behind his glass before taking a sip.

"How peculiar that you all are friends from school..."

"I wouldn't say that," Kaiba corrected, "I was at Domino High School for a short time, and during those few years before I transferred, we were all just mere acquaintances. But it is rather peculiar, how things turned out between all of us."

Kaiba turned his direct attention to Jonouchi briefly, his smirk widening before he turned his eyes away. Jonouchi looked slightly uncomfortable, his body shifting in his seat as he stuffed more sushi into his mouth.

"So then," continued Yoshitaka after Kaiba had topped off his glass of sake, the man pausing for a sip before setting his glass back down, "What got you into Duel Monsters, then? Mutou-san or someone else?"

Jonouchi swallowed his mouthful of food, pausing to take a sip of water. Kaiba was surprised he hadn't choked. "Yes, Mutou-san first introduced me to the game. His family owns a game shop, so I often hung out there after school and got to play with all the products. Duel Monsters was the one we loved best."

"And why is that? Because of the exciting holographics Kaiba-sama produced, or was it something else?"

"Nah, we played it long before Kaiba...sama developed his Duel Disk. Although that definitely made the game a whole lot more interesting," Jonouchi replied, turning to Kaiba and grinning. "At first, it was just something to do, but then we got really into it. Kind of developed a fondness for some of the cards and all," he added.

"One could say the same thing about chess," interrupted Ichikawa, "Honestly, I don't understand the appeal. The game is confusing, the cards are expensive, and Kaiba-sama here keeps winning nearly all the championships!"

Jonouchi's eyes quickly flashed to Kaiba before turning back to their dinner companions. "I don't know much about chess, but...Duel Monsters is just different from any other game I've ever played. It's in a league of its own. The cards may be expensive, but developing a deck that works for you makes the cost pale in comparison. It's like...a reflection of yourself, each card that you choose, and you pin all your hopes and beliefs into your cards. It's more than a game. Each time you play, you put yourself out there on the line. And win or lose, it's all a learning experience. I honestly don't know where I'd be had I not had Duel Monsters—I met so many amazing people through the game and learned so much about myself." Jonouchi seemed to notice how long he'd been talking and abruptly quieted, his face lightly reddening. He smiled somewhat sheepishly, ducking his head, "Sorry, the game just means a lot to me."

"Huh, how interesting..."

Kaiba turned his attention over to Jonouchi but remained silent. His eyes only slightly strayed over to read Jonouchi's lips as he spoke, but mostly he was silently eating his food. It wasn't often that he wasn't the center of attention, and enjoying the break for once, he allowed Jonouchi to soak up the majority of the conversation. He was actually surprised at how well Jonouchi had been fielding the others' questions—they were a pushy and interrogative group, but ultimately they meant well.

"My children play the game," commented Oda-san, "but I'm afraid they haven't quite reached yours or Kaiba-sama's levels yet. What do you hope to achieve with your new sponsorship with Kaiba Corporation, Jonouchi-san?"

"To become the best, of course. I know I still have a ways to go, but there's no point pursuing something unless you plan to give it your all."

"What do you plan to do about Mutou Yugi, then," said Kaiba bluntly, turning his eyes completely on Jonouchi as he spoke, "You'll have to face him eventually." He wasn't exactly surprised at Jonouchi's ambition—he was even somewhat pleased by it—but Kaiba thought it was a rather gutsy remark from someone just entering the professional realm. Officially, anyway.

Kaiba thought Jonouchi might actually have a good chance going against Yugi. While Jonouchi wasn't the best Duelist, he had managed to best Kaiba. However, Kaiba wasn't sure if he should even count the Duel. He had been a mess, and only recently did he begin starting to feel better, since he was finally getting some sleep at night. If Kaiba hadn't been in such bad shape several weeks ago, he was certain that Jonouchi would have seen a far different outcome from their Duel...but Kaiba doubted Jonouchi would ever admit that to himself.

Jonouchi's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. "I know I will. All I can do is be as prepared as possible. I don't expect to win against him on the first try, or maybe even the second. He's called the 'King of Games' for good reason. But if you're going to set the bar high, you might as well go for broke and aim for the best," he finished with a wink.

Kaiba felt slightly flustered after that, looking away sharply in such a fashion that Jonouchi seemed surprised as he turned and looked. It wasn't often that Kaiba allowed his face to give away his emotions, and for a moment, he was sure Jonouchi had caught him off-guard. But then again, Jonouchi had been paying more attention to him as of late, and none of the other men seemed to be paying any attention. As bothered as Kaiba was for having his little moment seen, he brushed it off as quickly as it happened.

Who was this Jonouchi? He was certainly different from the loud-mouthed brat he'd been back in high school. Of course, at the core, he hadn't _really_ changed all that much, but now that Jonouchi was older, Kaiba found him less grating on his nerves. The natural charisma that Jonouchi had always had seemed more prevalent—less obnoxious and smoothing out his rougher edges. It was almost seductive in a weird way, as though Jonouchi had some kind of special gravitational pull.

"I'm going to duel him," continued Jonouchi confidently, "and if I don't win the first time, so be it."

"Now that's the spirit!" complimented Hayashi as he raised his glass to Jonouchi, "That warrior spirit is admirable, Jonouchi-san! Men could learn something from you, don't you think?"

He broke into drunken laughs as the other men joined him for the toast. As the last person to raise his glass, Kaiba did so with much less enthusiasm, his eyes glancing over all of them but remaining on Jonouchi's figure on the longest.

"Who taught you to be so optimistic?"

"Probably Yugi," Jonouchi responded, apparently forgetting social conventions as the night of drinking had started to take effect, "He always believed in me no matter what and never gave up, so it just kind of...rubbed off, I guess?"

"And what did Kaiba-sama teach you?" asked Yoshitaka, laughing loudly as Kaiba narrowed his eyes at him, "Did he teach you something, Jonouchi-san?"

"Of course I did," Kaiba interrupted, "what kind of silly question is that..." If Jonouchi hadn't learned anything from the past few weeks of direct mentoring, well, he was a lost cause.

Jonouchi held his glass up to his lips, contemplating before finishing it in one long swallow. He set the glass down loudly and turned toward Kaiba, the alcohol in his system most likely making him more brazen than normal, and he stared openly. "Kaiba taught me...what it means to put your life on the line for something you believe in. Yeah, he's one of the best and a great strategist and all, but...more so than that, he taught me to play without regrets."

Kaiba returned the stare, careful to school his expression this time.

It got a bit quieter after that admission. The three businessmen turned to themselves for entertainment, becoming progressively louder as more drinks were bought and well-wishes were toasted. They ordered more alcohol than Kaiba assumed Jonouchi had ever seen (or rather, more quality alcohol that wasn't cheap-ass corner store beer), and they were downing it all rather quickly. Soon they were making desperate attempts to get their waitress to sit with them despite the wedding rings on their fingers, and Kaiba hoped internally that the get-together would be over soon.

Thankfully, Oda got up first, his balance a little challenged and face flushed as he smiled at everyone at the table.

"Thank you for the lovely dinner, Yoshitaka-san," he said, bowing and almost falling into the table, "It was exquisite as always."

"Thanks to my deep pockets!" boosted the other man as he rose from his seat, and they both laughed loudly as Kaiba sighed and winced.

"We shall do this again!" Oda-san announced, "Jonouchi-san, it was pleasant meeting you, and I wish you the best in your dueling endeavors. I have enjoyed my evening with you all!"

The other two men scrambled to get up as well, saying their thanks and giving bad bows to Kaiba before walking away even more boisterously than they had arrived, their voices echoing through the hallway.

"Glad that's over, finally," commented Kaiba as he removed his napkin from his lap and stood to leave.

"Aw, they weren't so bad," Jonouchi said, still leaning back in his seat. His expression was soft and somewhat unseeing—almost dazed—and it had taken him a second to register that Kaiba was standing, peering down at him curiously. Suddenly, Kaiba felt warm fingers wrap around his wrist. "Hey, where are you going? We can't just leave all this good alcohol here. Stay and drink with me."

"Why would I want to do that?"

Jonouchi's eyebrows drew together, his lips falling into a pout. "Because. It would be a waste, otherwise. And we're finally out of the mansion, doing something together. So why not." He gave Kaiba's wrist a little shake for emphasis.

Kaiba frowned a little, but he didn't put up a fight. The night had been interesting, and he was a little curious to see where it would lead, now that it was just the two of them. Sitting down next to Jonouchi, he adjusted himself to cross his legs before pouring more sake into Jonouchi's glass and waiting for his companion to return the gesture.

"You did fairly well tonight," commented Kaiba after a good few seconds of silence, "Much better than I'd hoped, even."

Jonouchi grinned widely, filling Kaiba's sake cup. A few drops splashed onto the tablecloth. "Yeah? Guess I'm not so bad an investment, huh?"

"I'm not quite so certain about that, yet." Kaiba took a slow sip, his eyes watching Jonouchi closely.

Jonouchi was starting to get drunk. Kaiba could tell. Even so, Jonouchi didn't seem to appreciate staring—thanks to their culture—even though the man was often guilty of doing it himself. Kaiba knew he was hanging around a bit too close, and it was probably a little unnerving, although the buzz from the alcohol made those revelations die away just as quickly as they came.

"How do you feel about it?" Kaiba asked, edging a bit closer before finishing his sake, "Are you a good investment for me?"

Jonouchi scowled, but Kaiba determined that it was mostly for show, his face falling back into an easy expression. Jonouchi leaned forward onto the table, refilling Kaiba's cup. "I think that goes without saying, but does it matter what I think?"

"I'd think so, since you're the one who decided to stick around after the party."

There was a lot of alcohol. Kaiba wasn't starting to feel as immune to the effects as he had once thought; he just wasn't drinking that much while the businessmen were around. Now he was actually keeping up with Jonouchi's pace, and it was pretty obvious that they'd end up clearing out the bottles left before leaving the restaurant.

It took him by surprise that Jonouchi wanted to stay and drink with him. Kaiba tried not to show it too much on his face, but he couldn't help but stare as he finished off his glass of sake. Did Jonouchi want him around because he enjoyed his company or because he didn't want to get kicked out of the place while drinking someone else's paid liquor? Choosing to remain ignorant of the answer, Kaiba just continued on drinking.

Besides, Jonouchi wasn't terrible company when he wasn't busy running his mouth over self-righteous crap he had no right to preach...

Eventually the desire for silence died away as the alcohol took control, and Kaiba found himself almost slurring his words as he spoke, "Why are we even still here?"

"Because," Jonouchi said, leaning heavily on the table, "there's still half a bottle left." He tipped his cup back and downed the alcohol, rolling it around in his mouth. "Why, disappointed in the company? Although I guess I have it pretty good," Jonouchi smiled. Definitely drunk. "Got a better place in mind?"

"No," Kaiba answered rather quickly, his eyes narrowing slightly as he thought over Jonouchi's strange question, "and how exactly do you have it pretty good? Last time I checked, you didn't even_ like_ me, let alone enjoying hanging around me."

Not that Jonouchi could be blamed. Kaiba could vaguely remember a time, in high school, when he'd almost contemplated letting the guy drown at the Domino Pier, but he hadn't been exactly himself back then... But still. Things weren't exactly normal between them.

Jonouchi rested his chin against his palm, elbows on the table. "You're a pretty likable guy, when you want to be. I know you try to have this untouchable aura," Jonouchi waved his free hand around in demonstration, "or _something_, but...that's just you." He seemed pretty satisfied with his answer, vague as it was.

"You don't know what you're even saying," said Kaiba as he sipped another glass of sake, "You're drunk."

Humming in response, Jonouchi poured more sake into Kaiba's glass before refilling his own. More social conventions done away with, then. "Probably," he replied, still smiling.

"I didn't take you for a happy drunk, either," mumbled Kaiba under his breath as he rolled his eyes and fingered the rim of his glass. Jonouchi wouldn't stop staring with that stupid smile of his. How could someone be that dedicated to appearing happy like it was effortlessly easy? It was strange. "What did you think of the businessmen? They're all stupid alcoholics just like you, you know..."

Pausing the moment the words spilled out of his mouth, Kaiba realized he never would have said such a thing if he himself hadn't been drinking. He didn't like announcing his opinions about people so bluntly, but Jonouchi didn't seem particularly offended by it. Despite being insulted, he seemed amused.

Jonouchi snorted. "Hate to break it to you, but you're just as drunk as I am," he said, eyeing the several empty bottles scattered around the table. "So welcome to the club."

"I don't want in on your dumb club..."

"Too bad; membership's already been granted."

Kaiba's face fell and suddenly his ears were assaulted by Jonouchi's raucous laughter. He didn't seem capable of containing himself, like he had been just an hour ago while under the slight scrutiny of the businessmen.

"Do you ever stop laughing," Kaiba complained, shaking his head before taking another drink. When it ended up already being empty, he just stole Jonouchi's own glass, completely finishing it. "Simple-minded people are easily amused."

"Then stop being so funny. Maybe you should laugh more," Jonouchi replied, attempting to get a hold on his laughter.

"I'd prefer not to; you're doing enough for the two of us. Ugh... Also, your hair is stupid. You can't possibly actually be blond..."

What exactly prompted that thought, Kaiba didn't know, but it was the first thing that came to mind as he openly stared at Jonouchi and felt his insides burning progressively hotter.

Jonouchi threaded fingers through his hair, which caught the dim light and glowed gold where it stuck out. "My hair's not stupid. And it's natural… You can blame my father for that."

"At least he made you pretty to make up for your mental faults," snarked Kaiba before he followed Jonouchi and broke table etiquette by pouring his own drink, "What would you have done if that hadn't been the case?"

Chuckling, Jonouchi stole the bottle from Kaiba and mirrored his actions. There were only a few more cups' worth left. "Pretty? That's a first."

"You aren't unattractive," Kaiba corrected, "by societal standards, at least. There's hope for you yet."

He didn't know what to think of Jonouchi at the moment, and Kaiba was lying to himself if he didn't think Jonouchi was more than just _pretty_. It was just bothersome to think about, and while his inhibitions were taking a hiatus, he certainly didn't want to think too hard about something so troubling. Not when Jonouchi was his employee and drunk himself...

"I should go home," he mumbled, pushing the glass away. "You are annoying me. This is your fault," Kaiba reasoned, "I'm going to have to call Isono to pick me up, and I can't find my damn phone."

Was it in his suit pocket? No. Fumbling around, he found it in his slacks. How strange. Was it there to begin with? Kaiba didn't know.

"I hate being drunk," he lamented, sighing loudly and dramatically before frowning when Jonouchi began to laugh. "I don't like you."

"Don't be like that; we were doing so well." Jonouchi reached up and tugged at the knot of his tie, loosening his collar. And then he was reaching out again, closing a hand over the one Kaiba was holding his phone in. "Relax, man."

Kaiba stared at Jonouchi's hand for a long time before pulling away, his head whipping from the exit back towards Jonouchi's dumb face that was smiling up at him from the table. He thought about calling Isono, and making up his mind to do just that, he looked down at Jonouchi again in confusion.

"I'm plenty relaxed, and I'll feel even better when I can get back home," Kaiba lied, standing uncomfortably as he felt brown eyes studying him. "I don't want to be stuck in this public place any longer. Not with you eyeing me all night... Besides, I have enough alcohol at home to throw my own private little afterparty."

"Doesn't sound like a party if you're alone… Am I not worth your while?" Jonouchi smirked at the words, leaning forward more before sitting his chin back into the palm of his hand.

Kaiba blinked, and before he could think clearly about what he was suggesting, the words came spilling out of his mouth: "Are you busy tonight? You could come over..."

Jonouchi peered at him curiously, "And do what?"

At that, Kaiba blanked out and mentally slapped himself on the forehead. What was he thinking? Jonouchi clearly only meant to be genial. He wasn't one of the guys Kaiba hooked up with at bars over a few drinks, and by the dopey look on his face, he had no idea what was being suggested.

"-Never mind, it was a stupid suggestion," said Kaiba as he brushed off Jonouchi's inquiry, "I'll see you later. Don't worry about tomorrow; you'll be too hungover to be useful."

"Like you're one to talk, but thanks," Jonouchi remarked. He yawned wide, not bothering to cover his mouth, stretching his arms out and popping the joints in his back. "Guess I'll just call a cab or something," he muttered mostly to himself, looking around the room.

The restaurant was winding down for the night, staff bustling around as covertly as possible. Squinting, Kaiba checked his watch—the thin, spinning hands made his vision momentarily swim—and realized that it was close to midnight.

Taking one last look at Jonouchi—suit starting to rumple, hair reverting to its natural wildness, collarbones peeking out from under his loosened shirt—Kaiba took a few unsteady paces from the table and hit the speed dial on his phone. "No need. I'll have Isono send one over for you." And without another word, he strode towards the entrance, ready to leave the night behind him.


	10. Chapter 10

Kaiba had already been long gone by the time Jonouchi had realized that he had left. He'd sort of spaced out somewhere around the time Kaiba had started inching away from their table, and without anyone around to keep his mind engaged, he'd started to drift.

The loud clinking of glass bottles into a bus bin brought Jonouchi back to his senses, and after rubbing his eyes and a few sharp slaps to his cheeks, he rose from the table and hobbled towards the entrance. Luckily, a cab was already waiting for him—Jonouchi recalled Kaiba saying something about calling one for him—and he was grateful that he didn't have to pester the restaurant staff with his presence any longer.

Practically falling into the backseat of the cab, Jonouchi gathered enough of his mental faculties to ramble out his address. He was so drunk that he didn't even feel embarrassed about it, and he made a mental note to tip the driver extra for having to dump him off at the less-than-desirable section of town past midnight. Hopefully when the time came, he'd remember.

The sway of the cab made him doze a little, his mind cycling back through the night's events. The food had been great, and the booze had been top-shelf. And although Jonouchi had been apprehensive going into the dinner, Yoshitaka and his associates had turned out to be interesting fellows. For his first official outing as a professional Duelist, it hadn't been so bad.

Even Kaiba had been on his best behavior—although he'd been largely introverted during dinner, on the whole, he had been less surly than usual and more tolerant of Jonouchi's company.

And even a bit amusing, especially when drunk.

Chuckling a bit to himself as he slumped against the cab door, Jonouchi was amazed that Kaiba had actually stayed behind to drink with him. He'd fully been expecting the other to blow him off as per norm, but Jonouchi was glad that events had turned out otherwise. He'd gotten to witness a side to Kaiba that was new, and for some peculiar reason, that had delighted Jonouchi.

Sharing drinks like that almost made it feel like they were brother-in-arms or something. Comrades. Surely a genuine friendship was on the horizon. Hell, Kaiba had even invited him over before he'd backtracked…

And wasn't that odd.

His mind started to focus in on the memory, gears slowly turning as he processed the last moments of their conversation.

"…_Am I not worth your while_?"

"_Are you not busy tonight, then_?_ You could come over…_"

Kaiba had gone from complaining about Jonouchi and wanting to go home to asking Jonouchi to go home with him. And then Kaiba had rescinded the offer, as though he had had second thoughts about something.

"_And do what_?"

A little ball of anxiety began to twist in Jonouchi's gut.

"_At least he made you pretty…_"  
"_You aren't unattractive…_"  
"_This is your fault._"  
"_Are you a good investment for me_?"  
"_I don't like you._"  
"_-Never mind. It was a stupid suggestion._"

Kaiba's constant staring. The way his simple statements could sometimes take on an alternate meaning. Jonouchi had always dismissed them, but… The pieces were beginning to fall into place as his mind pinpointed more anomalies.

"_It's more a personal taste of mine, you could say…_"  
"_…__hopefully with clothes on the whole time, for your sake._"

His eyes flew open. Shit. Had he just been _propositioned_?

And if that was true...then that must mean- Was Kaiba…

…Into _guys_?

* * *

It wasn't until two days had passed did Kaiba even consider contacting Jonouchi again. He could get over his own embarrassment; his pass had probably gone entirely unnoticed, as Jonouchi had been so drunk himself. Since then, it had also occurred to Kaiba that they didn't exactly bat for the same teams, so it wouldn't have been the sort of thing Jonouchi would have probably even understood. He doubted Jonouchi had taken Kaiba's behavior that night as really bad drunk flirting.

Shaking his head, Kaiba tried focusing on the information on his computer screen.

Mokuba was still away, and not having contacted him in several weeks wore on Kaiba's nerves. He was well-aware of how clever and smart his brother was, and at sixteen years old, he could nearly take care of himself. But still. The idea of him being completely alone without Kaiba around to help him, if the need presented itself, still bothered him.

Maybe Mokuba was right, though. When Kaiba thought about it, he had been alone by himself at that age and had survived without anyone's help. In fact, he'd nearly won the Battle City tournament and had saved Mokuba from countless lunatics at an age when most high schoolers' main worries centered around passing their entrance exams. Mokuba could probably take care of himself... He wasn't eleven anymore.

Still.

Sighing, Kaiba shoved himself away from the computer and closed his eyes as he crossed his arms against his chest. It would hurt—and be quite evident—for Mokuba to miss tomorrow's event. It was Kaiba Corporation's fifth anniversary since the company had been converted into a gaming giant, and the Board had insisted that Kaiba throw a party for their upper-level managers and investors at Kaiba Mansion. Naturally, Kaiba had initially protested—it wasn't like he opened up his house to just anyone, and it wasn't like he was the celebratory type, anyway. But it was an important milestone to recognize, and so he'd agreed only on the condition that the event be a fundraiser for the Domino At-Risk Youth Foundation. If he had to suffer through a night of schmoozing with people he didn't particularly care for, at least someone could benefit from it.

And maybe the price tag would be a deterrent.

Not likely. It was a selfish wish, but usually the more exclusive an event was made to be, the more people wanted in. It was human nature, and it would only make the fundraiser more successful, but it would also guarantee Kaiba a rather painful night of socialization in his own abode.

He would have to invite Jonouchi, though. Kaiba didn't particularly care to see him so soon after his faux pas, but it would look bad for KaibaCorp's first sponsored Duelist to be absent from such a visible event.

And Kaiba was honestly a little nervous about Jonouchi's presence around so many powerful and prominent businessmen. Sure, he'd done well with Yoshitaka's group, but they were nowhere near the level of those who would be attending tomorrow night, and they were a much more forgiving group, as well. If that fool said or did one wrong thing, no matter how small, it could cost millions and sour future deals.

Kaiba wasn't so sure he could trust Jonouchi that much. Jonouchi _had _to attend—that much was beyond argument. So Kaiba would just have to keep him on a very short leash in case he had to intervene or extinguish any fires. It meant spending the whole night in Jonouchi's company, and Kaiba wasn't so sure how he felt about that, but he knew how to be a professional and all the inconveniences entailed.

It had been his idea to sponsor Jonouchi, after all, and Kaiba knew he should have anticipated events like this. The plan has seemed sound at the time—get close enough to Jonouchi so that he could figure out just _how _the other had beaten him—but Kaiba had been sleep-deprived when he'd concocted the whole thing, so had it really been that smart? Now Jonouchi played an integral role in his company's future, and Kaiba was beginning to wonder whether a little revenge was worth all the trouble.

But then again, there was some sense of a power trip that came from telling the idiot what to do on a daily basis. Sure, having to watch over him during a party all night long would be a hassle and wear on Kaiba's nerves, but there was a kind of special satisfaction whenever Jonouchi bunched up his face before doing something he didn't want to do. And since his livelihood was now on the line, he didn't bite back as much, either.

Jonouchi was still a hot-head, though. Enough to keep Kaiba from getting bored of him, but it didn't lie easily with him, replaying the night at the bar and what could have transpired if Jonouchi hadn't gotten confused.

Kaiba had had a few one night stands in his short sex life after high school, but he didn't want to add the moron to his belt notches anytime soon.

Ever.

He would just have to remind himself of that once the alcohol hit him the next night. Everything seemed like a great idea after a few shots and a bottle of sake.

When Kaiba finally left his office, he wasn't surprised to find the entire household staff scurrying around, carrying and rearranging the furniture. He didn't bother himself to learn the finer points of entertaining; he had hired a real butler, after all. His staff could deal with handling the arrangements, and leaning against the bars of the giant staircase, he watched one of the maids position a huge bouquet of flowers.

The caterer would arrive for prep soon, too, and then there would be the small chamber ensemble coming in to test the acoustics in the ballroom. Kaiba hadn't been in there since he was a child, and dreading it immensely, he turned away to shut himself back in his room.

Gozaburo had enjoyed hosting. He liked showing off his money and pretending he had a sense of taste in all things European. It was like he was trying to push away his Japanese heritage, and for what reason, Kaiba didn't exactly know. Maybe because the country had never fully supported his business, and dealing with weapons carried a very negative stigma within the nation which had taken several years for Kaiba to turn around.

Hopefully the party would be successful. Isono was to give one more look over the final dinner menu before approving it, and the downstairs arrangements were almost finished. The pianist wouldn't arrive until the following night, but the cello and bass would be positioned the day before to ensure everything went smoothly.

There was already a finely-tuned Steinway grand piano in the ballroom. It was black and polished and while Kaiba could play a little, he largely ignored it.

Too many bad memories.

Time to face the inevitable, though. Kaiba stared at the number in his cell phone before finally punching dial and making a face. Jonouchi answered on the fourth ring.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Kaiba began flatly.

"Yes you are, don't even lie," responded Jonouchi dryly, "What is it?"

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "It's considered proper form to answer a call from one's employer by the second ring. _Anyways_," Kaiba paused. Time to reverse tactics. If they both kept up the attitude, Jonouchi would refuse out of sheer spite. "Are you busy tomorrow night?"

The line went silent for a few breaths.

"Well, if you aren't already, you will be. I need you at the Kaiba Mansion for a benefit party by eight o'clock. And I expect you to be fifteen minutes early, so don't be late. I have things to go over with you before guests arrive... Actually," interrupted Kaiba, as he thought over it before shaking his head and touching his forehead in mild irritation, "just get here by six and I'll brief you. Got it?"

"...Sure," Jonouchi finally said. He sounded a little grumpy, but Kaiba dismissed it. Jonouchi had all night and tomorrow morning to get over whatever was up his ass. "Dress code?"

"Since I'm sure you haven't had the suit from the other night dry cleaned, I'll have one ready for you here. So-"

"Don't be late. Yeah, I know."

"You might want to brush up on your formal event etiquette, too. Just a _suggestion_."

There was a noise like snorting on the other end of the line. "Any other _suggestions_?"

"Yes, in fact," Kaiba continued, his patience waning as he could tell that Jonouchi was just taking his call as a joke from the tone in his voice, "Get a haircut. Bye."

He hung up rudely before Jonouchi could make some clever little jibe.

* * *

Six o'clock the following night came faster than Kaiba anticipated. The morning had passed in a blur as the mansion was invaded by various workers. Kaiba largely avoided the bustle, having Isono orchestrate most of the details, but he'd occasionally had to step in and make final decisions.

By the time Jonouchi arrived on his motorcycle, Kaiba had changed into an all-black suit and skinny tie, hanging around the foyer impatiently as servants continued to rush by. The quiet sounds of the chamber ensemble warming up in the ballroom could be heard, as well as the sounds of Isono's deep voice barking orders to slacking staff members.

Hopefully nothing had burned down in the kitchen. Spoiled food was the last thing Kaiba needed at such a major business event.

"Yo," Jonouchi greeted easily as he kicked off his shoes by the front door. Apparently he was in a slightly better mood than the day before. "Hey, what are they doing with my bike?" he said distractedly as he watched a pair of groundskeepers cart the vehicle away.

"They're taking it around to the garage. You really think I'd allow that thing to be kept out in plain sight?

Jonouchi didn't reply, just watching the workers nervously before they disappeared around the corner. Kaiba snapped his fingers, bringing Jonouchi's attention back to the present. "Never mind that. We've got to make you presentable, and there's not a lot of time before people start showing up, so follow me."

Jonouchi frowned but did as directed. He lagged behind Kaiba, shuffling his feet in an obnoxious manner before slowly ascending the stairway up to the study where Kaiba routinely hid himself away. Once they were inside, Kaiba grabbed a bundle of clothes off his desk and shoved them onto Jonouchi's chest.

"Go get changed."

"I'm not going to do it in here with you watching me," answered Jonouchi with a snicker, "Even if you call me a girl for caring."

Kaiba felt his head pound sharply in his skull, and forcefully grabbing Jonouchi by the shoulders, he turned him around and pushed him towards the door.

"Go find another room, then. And be quick about it."

Jonouchi reemerged five minutes later, tugging at the stiff fabric of his sleeves. His collar was upturned, tie still in hand, and Kaiba almost smirked at the sight. "Forget how to tie a tie in two days?" he teased.

Pausing halfway to Kaiba's desk, Jonouchi shoved his hand forward in silent demand. A light flush rose on his cheeks at Kaiba's words. "This one's different. Slippery. I can't make it lay right."

This time, the smirk did reach Kaiba's lips, and he slowly strode over to Jonouchi. He took the tie from the other's hand, stepping closer to reach behind Jonouchi's neck and straighten out the upturned collar. Slipping the garment in place, Kaiba tied it with perfunctory ease, smoothing it into place before rearranging Jonouchi's collar. Jonouchi had kept his gaze up at the ceiling the entire time.

Stepping back a little, Kaiba crossed his arms and gave Jonouchi the once-over. The charcoal suit was slightly darker than Jonouchi's other one, giving him a more formal look without being overly stuffy. The light blue shirt and black tie combination looked surprisingly better on him than Kaiba had expected. Nodding, Kaiba brought a hand up and held his chin. "Turn around."

"What? Why?" Jonouchi snapped as he complied anyway.

The fit was good. Kaiba hadn't been able to get an American suit on such short notice, so he'd had to call his personal tailor to alter a Japanese one to the measurements of Jonouchi's light gray suit. "Okay. Now for your hair." Thankfully Jonouchi had followed his _suggestion_ to get a haircut, but while the blond mop was shorter and less scraggly, it was still wild-looking.

Jonouchi gave him a quizzical look. "What about it?"

"The cut is fine, but it looks like a blind man tried to style it. Did you even look in the mirror before leaving home?" Kaiba remarked patiently.

"'Course I did," Jonouchi muttered, "but styling's for chicks."

Kaiba huffed, turning back to his desk and retrieving a small toiletry bag. "Come here."

Jonouchi slowly scooted over, staring at the bag apprehensively. Kaiba first took out a comb and brusquely ran it through Jonouchi's hair, eliciting a small string of curses from the latter. Ignoring them, Kaiba then unscrewed a small pot, scooped a reasonable amount of pomade out with his middle finger, then rubbed the product between his hands before attacking Jonouchi's hair. Jonouchi tensed up at the sudden close proximity, squeamishly breathing shallowly and hands fidgeting. Kaiba found the whole act absurd—what harm was a little product? Jonouchi was acting as if the goop was affecting his manliness or something equally asinine.

"Stop freaking out, I'm almost done," snorted Kaiba as he looked down briefly from his work, "I wouldn't have done this if you'd gotten your hair done correctly, like I had asked."

He received a low grumble in response. Jonouchi still stood rigidly, trying to occupy as little space as possible.

"Okay, that's as good as it's probably going to get," Kaiba said as he stepped back to give Jonouchi another once-over. "You look halfway decent now. Someone might even mistake you for some punk celebrity-type now that your hair isn't sticking up all over the place like a golden porcupine." Wiping his hands on a tissue, Kaiba took a seat behind his desk and motioned for Jonouchi to do the same.

"So, _boss_, what did you want to brief me on?" Jonouchi asked as he settled into one of the chairs across the way. The sight was becoming quite regular for Kaiba.

"There are a lot of important people coming to this function tonight," started Kaiba in a more stern voice, "and I need you to be on your best behavior. This isn't just for your sake, but mine as well. And although I'm sure you don't exactly like me, I hope you respect our business contract enough not to do something stupid or premature to tarnish Kaiba Corporation's name. Understand me?"

Jonouchi quirked an eyebrow, apparently taken aback by Kaiba's shift in tone. "I'm sure we've already been through this before, but it's not like I'm out to get you, Kaiba. You act like I can't control myself, but I'm not some dumb teenager anymore. Have a little faith."

"I'll have faith when you prove it to me first," Kaiba replied. "Now, some rules for the evening. You will address everyone in attendance with '-sama,' and that includes me. Don't make that face. You will remember to bow. You will use keigo. I don't care how stupid you think you may sound. Remember that you are not here to have fun; you are a representative of Kaiba Corporation, and these people—no matter how boring or insufferable they may seem—have a significant stake in the company. Do I make myself clear?"

He received a nod in reply, and to Kaiba's surprise, the look upon Jonouchi's face wasn't one of defiance, but...determination. A challenge accepted.

"I hate these parties just as much as you will," remarked Kaiba before he snorted and crossed his arms to relax in his seat more, "but they are essential for business, and just like you, I can't skip out on them just because they are unpleasant. Just be thankful it'll be over by midnight."

"I think I can manage four hours of pomp and circumstance," Jonouchi said lightly.

"Oh, and one more rule," Kaiba began. "You are to stay within my sight the entire night. I don't want you wandering off on your own. There will be a lot of people here, and I'll need to feed you information before you engage with any of them."

"So you want me glued to your hip," Jonouchi answered as his face fell, "like some child who can't walk a street alone? Geez, Kaiba, I'm not going to spill some embarrassing thing or offend someone just for saying hello..."

"It's not necessarily about you," Kaiba said with a wave of his hand, "You will soon discover that some of the people in attendance tonight are more...difficult...to deal with. You won't know any of them, and so you'll need some pointers as occasion arises. I'm not just going to throw you to the wolves."

Jonouchi appeared to have bit back a comment, his own arms crossing against his chest as he looked away. "Why would you want those kind of people in your business, then? They don't sound like good people to me."

"Because, Jonouchi," Kaiba started as he leaned back in his seat, "they are ridiculously wealthy. And in this world, money equals power and influence. They're not _all_ bad, but unfortunately, just because someone has money doesn't always mean they have the brains suited for business. You'll learn the difference soon." Kaiba stared at Jonouchi again, all suited up and styled, and thought to hell with it—might as well let him know.

"There are also a few key investors who have the bad habit of trying to pick up young, attractive people at big parties like these ones," added Kaiba, "and since you don't know who these people are, you should spare yourself the embarrassment trying to navigate the social crowd alone. Understand me?"

Face paling, Jonouchi nodded once, jaw gone slack. "But wait...won't it be mostly men at this gathering? So you mean…"

"You sound so surprised."

"Of course I'm surprised!" Jonouchi nearly shouted before quieting down, "It's not like it's typical…" He gave Kaiba a strange look, and Kaiba found himself perturbed that he couldn't decipher it.

Closing his eyes and sighing, Kaiba laced his fingers and settled them upon his lap. "Well, get used to it—it's a lot more common than you'd think. But if it unsettles you so, you'll see why it's important for you to stay near me and not just venture out on your own. Because if you do, I'll be less sympathetic about saving your hide."

"So these men," Jonouchi continued, his shoulders dropping and spine arched like a cat's as he looked up at Kaiba's face, "they actually try picking up young dudes at these parties?"

"And the occasional woman who attends. They don't discriminate if they happen to find the person desirable, not even if the person came with someone else or if they're in a committed relationship. Age doesn't matter, and once the alcohol starts pouring, things can get messy, so don't drink too much tonight, either." Kaiba almost found Jonouchi's nervousness endearing. "I had to find out the hard way, so unless you want to be peeling some drunk old geezer off at the end of the night, you'll do as I say."

"Alright, fine." Jonouchi averted his gaze as his face scrunched up in distaste, "I don't think I'd mind some cougar trying to chase me down so much, though."

Kaiba snorted as he uncrossed his legs and sat forward. "Then I'll be sure to introduce you to Kitaki-san, and we'll see if you maintain the same impression later. She prefers them young." The Kitaki matriarch also happened to be a homely woman in her sixties with a large personality to match, but Kaiba decided to withhold that particular piece of information.

"Oh come on, I'm not a kid."

"You're old enough to be hers, if not her daughter's."

Jonouchi made a face.

Sighing, Kaiba rolled his eyes and crossed his legs again. "Just trust me, if you like older women, stick to your pal Kujaku Mai and don't even encourage the ladies here, because once you give them an ounce of attention, they'll be on you like leeches. I'm sure the majority of them haven't been laid in at least a decade..."

"Spare me the details," Jonouchi sighed. "Anything else, since apparently I'm some piece of fresh meat?"

"Just mind the rules, and you'll be fine." Rising from his seat, Kaiba smoothed out his suit and buttoned his jacket. "Our guests should be arriving shortly. Come with me."

* * *

True to form, once the alcohol started to flow, the social waters became more perilous to tread. Kaiba had endured an hour and a half of mindless mingling before his guests' inhibitions started to decline, volume increasing and personal space decreasing. Jonouchi had fared fairly well, all things considered, and had adhered to Kaiba's rules impeccably. And while he wasn't as fluid in social graces as Kaiba (who had eleven years of experience in these kinds of events), he had a rough kind of charm that people tended to excuse.

However, Kaiba was nowhere near letting Jonouchi off the leash.

Another hour passed much more slowly, and Kaiba just wanted to hole himself in a corner and drink the night away until everyone left, but _that _had the potential for all kinds of problems, so he suffered with a well-plastered smile instead. Jonouchi, for his part, seemed to be enjoying the night on the whole. Kaiba had been expecting him to need a warming-up period, but the other had dived right in. He was lively yet polite, just flirtatious enough to generate interest, but sometimes Kaiba wondered how much common sense Jonouchi really had up in his brain. Jonouchi was supposed to possess _some _kind of street smarts—he'd survived being in a _gang_, after all—but rather obvious things flew completely over his head.

Like Matsudaira rather obviously hitting on him.

The pass had been as subtle as a sledgehammer, but it had eluded Jonouchi altogether. He'd been somewhat confused when the old man had erupted into laughter—thankfully, Matsudaira's amusement only grew the more drunk he became—and perhaps that obliviousness was his saving grace. It wouldn't do to have Jonouchi clam up over something so small and potentially spoil the mood. Kaiba had kept his mouth shut and deftly wove Jonouchi away to the other side of the room.

At eleven o'clock, the party showed no signs of dying down. Kaiba felt drained, could feel the ache seeping into his bones, and simply wanted _out_. Two others had tried hitting on Jonouchi, and it seemed like the latter's radar was finally moving away from defunct. Kaiba could feel Jonouchi getting antsy—he'd started to fidget with his tie—and for the second time that night, decided _to hell with it_.

Scanning the room, Kaiba's eyes locked onto Isono's, and he gave the man one tacit nod. His bodyguard nodded in return, and Kaiba marched towards the back hallway, stopping to grab a bottle and two glasses off a drink cart.

Jonouchi followed behind him, a bit nonplussed but unquestioning. It wasn't until Kaiba had opened a set of heavy wooden doors and locked it behind them did Jonouchi open his mouth. "Uh...where are we?"

"This is my study," Kaiba replied, setting the bottle and glasses onto a side table. He unscrewed the cap and poured a small amount into each glass, holding one out to Jonouchi.

"I thought your study was the one upstairs," Jonouchi said as he accepted the offered glass. He sniffed it once and wrinkled his nose. "And what's this?"

Retrieving his own glass, Kaiba made his way to one of the leather couches at the center of his room and sat down heavily. "That's my office. I use it for work. This one's more for leisure." He gestured around to the walls lined with books. "And this is Scotch, but if you'd rather be patriotic, I'm sure I can scare up some sake around here."

"Nah, this is fine. I can handle any kind of booze."

Jonouchi swallowed it all at once like a champ. Eyes opening, Kaiba smirked and snorted before sipping his own. Well, if Jonouchi planned on getting smashed that evening, Kaiba wasn't going to stop him. The alcohol was already bought and paid for, and since they were no longer being hunted down by throes of people, Kaiba didn't have to be afraid of Jonouchi being the society party equivalent of jailbait.

Besides, he was feeling too relaxed and comfortable to care. His leather couch was soft, and he easily slipped into it, lying against one of the arms as he propped up his feet and closed his eyes. It was nice being mostly alone after several hours of playing host.

Never again.

He heard Jonouchi settle onto the couch across from him and the dull thud of a bottle set upon the table between them. There was a moment of silence, and then shifting, before Jonouchi spoke again. "So, um. What now?"

"I'm done entertaining," mumbled Kaiba as he waved his hand, "You can figure out the answer to that question yourself."

Jonouchi hummed in response, pouring himself another drink. This time he drank it slowly, and his eyes wandered around the room, taking in the scenery. "Not even going to close out your own party? That doesn't seem all that hospitable."

"They'll all be too drunk to realize I've disappeared. I'm just hoping in the morning, they'll remember they had a good time and I was the one who was responsible for making that happen. Isono will take care of things while I'm gone. He's good at it..."

Kaiba didn't know why Jonouchi would even care. He seemed just as ready to leave the drunk masses once the opportunity to escape presented itself.

"Besides, my head hurts. People talk too much..."

"I don't think the alcohol's going to help that," Jonouchi laughed as he took another sip. He set the glass upon the table and wiggled out of his jacket. "Ugh, much better."

"Are you done with the small talk now?" Kaiba pried an eye open before snorting, setting his glass down and crossing his legs at the ankles, "I could sleep right here without a problem."

"I guess there's nothing stopping you from doing that," Jonouchi replied, "Although, if I'm gonna be stuck in here with you until who knows when, isn't there something we could _do_?"

"There are books all over this room," sighed Kaiba, "If you're bored silly, it won't kill you to try reading for once in your life. God knows you need some culture."

Making a face, Jonouchi stated, "I think I've had enough culture for one night." He shifted forward, sifting through the large books stacked on the table before carefully picking up a marble playing piece. "What about this? You're pretty good at this, right—chess, or whatever?"

"That game's too smart for you."

Jonouchi rolled his eyes as he turned the horse head around in his hands. "Don't be a dick. It's one of the most basic strategy games, right? So wouldn't knowing something about it help me with dueling?"

"It could help," offered Kaiba. He got up and stretched his limbs, sighing before sitting fully upright and looking over the chessboard. "I'm too drunk to have the patience to teach you right now," muttered Kaiba, "Do you already know how to play?"

"Yugi taught me a little, but it's been a long time since I've played." Jonouchi set the piece down back in its place. "I'm sure after a while, it'll all come back to me."

"Time to test that theory, then."

Kaiba placed his fingers on a pawn before moving it one space. He looked up at Jonouchi with a smirk as he waited for him to play. "Just so you know, I once beat a world champion of chess at ten years of age. Don't feel too bad if you don't win tonight."

"Don't worry, I'll just pass it off as going easy on the drunk guy in the room." Jonouchi hovered a finger over his front row of figures before finally scooting a pawn two spaces forward.

They went at the game for a good two or three minutes, Jonouchi seeming rather confident in his abilities, before Kaiba slyly got his queen across the board and knocked out Jonouchi's king. It seemed to come out of nowhere, and too drunk to be a good sport, Kaiba literally knocked Jonouchi's king to the floor.

"Another game?" he laughed before lying back on the couch again, "I could literally play this all night, half-asleep, you know."

"Fine," Jonouchi growled, setting the pieces back into place.

"The king goes on the other side," Kaiba observed lazily, to which Jonouchi replied with a snappy "Shut it," which only made Kaiba more amused.

"I was just thinking...where are you going to crash tonight, since you obviously can't drive that death bike of yours home in your condition?" Kaiba didn't like the idea of having Jonouchi of all people over at his house, but since he was invested in him staying alive, it would be best and more logical than sending him away to some hotel. Jonouchi would probably get offended by that, anyways. Especially since Kaiba Mansion had several empty bedrooms. "I'm sure some millionaire here wouldn't mind having you over for the night, either. I could ask for takers."

"Thanks, but I'm not some call girl," Jonouchi said with just a bit of venom. He leaned forward, finishing his reassembly of the game, and refilled his and Kaiba's glasses. "Actually, I hadn't given it much thought… Can't I just stay here? It's not like you have much regular occupancy."

"Sure. I guess the floor is always available."

Kaiba tapped it with his foot for emphasis before taking another drink to his lips and smirking.

"Cute. Your turn." Jonouchi nudged the board forward.

Kaiba complied and was mildly impressed when Jonouchi managed to last five minutes this time around. But Jonouchi still hadn't seen Kaiba's bishop stealthily making its way across the board, and soon enough, Kaiba had him in checkmate. "Like I said, don't feel too badly about yourself."

Jonouchi sighed and leaned back in his seat, the large cushions cocooning him. "Fine, I give up. I obviously need more practice before going up against you." He eyed Kaiba then, and it was that same strange assessment that Kaiba couldn't figure out.

"I did kind of tell you that beforehand, you dolt-"

"Are you into guys?" The words seemed to tumble out of Jonouchi's mouth before he realized he'd said anything.

Kaiba paused, his face draining a little before he cocked an eyebrow and began to laugh, "What a random thing to bring up after a game of chess..."

The deflection didn't seem to work, and Jonouchi, to his credit, didn't seem all that embarrassed over his abrupt, invasive question. At least on the surface. "Are you?"

"Are you asking if I'm a homosexual?" asked Kaiba as he fought back another snicker, "Then yes, if you must know. And before you get all frantic over that fact, no, your stupid ass isn't on the menu, so don't worry your pretty head over it."

The last thing he wanted was for Jonouchi to start acting strange over something so silly. It wasn't like Kaiba announced his sexual preferences, but he had enough sexual experiences under his belt to know what he liked and didn't like. And unlike some men in his motherland, he wasn't going to torture himself with a girlfriend for acceptance.

Jonouchi blinked, mouth slightly agape. "I can't believe you'd just outright admit that." He shook his head a little, nervous laughter bubbling up in his chest. "I mean, I thought- What's so good about guys, anyway? Man, is everyone in this business a homo?" Apparently tact was another thing that was escaping Jonouchi.

"No. Just some people, and maybe you're just socially retarded, but there are plenty of non-heterosexual people outside the business world, but you don't pay attention to anything beyond your own life experiences. I have no reason to care what you think about me, while I'm sure most people would rather keep their preferences private, since it isn't exactly tolerated in this country..."

Kaiba wasn't even going to begin talking about why he liked men over women. It wasn't any of Jonouchi's business or concern, and he didn't feel like dealing with what would no doubt be more confusion and disbelief.

"Are you done?"

Jonouchi was sitting upright now, and he was beginning to fidget yet again. "Don't you just find it—I dunno—_weird_?"

"No."

"Ah, c'mon, man—how am I supposed to understand anything if you just clam up on me?" He was flicking around the tail of his tie like a pendulum.

"It's not something for you to understand," replied Kaiba, "and I'm not in the mood to be laughed at, anyways."

The flickering stopped. "I wouldn't laugh." And then it started up again. Kaiba wanted to strangle him with it.

"Yes, you would." Closing his eyes, Kaiba crossed his legs and sighed again, "I've dealt with enough close-minded straight men to know. Or worse, the man who's in denial and needs to shout his super masculinity from the rooftops because he's afraid that he'll catch the gay. Going on and on about how straight he is, since he's not as confident in his own sexuality as he thinks... I'm too drunk to talk about this right now."

"Psh, I'm confident enough," Jonouchi asserted, knocking back the remaining Scotch in his glass. "Try me."

"Okay, fine."

Snorting, Kaiba moved closer until he could rest his palms on the coffee table in front of them, grinning ear to ear.

"I dare you to kiss me. Since you don't like men, it shouldn't bother you in the least, right?"

It was Jonouchi's turn to pale, and Kaiba almost smirked in self-satisfaction, but then Jonouchi was leaning forward hesitantly, a red flush trailing up his neck. Jonouchi hovered close to Kaiba's face, the space between their noses palpable, and Kaiba almost laughed over how much Jonouchi stalled, like he was thinking of bailing out... And then he felt a ghost of lips upon his own, too quick to really be considered a kiss, and then Jonouchi had leaned back just as quickly.

"I barely felt anything," Kaiba laughed as Jonouchi's face grew even more red and his eyebrows furrowed in frustration, "You wouldn't kiss a girl like that, would you?"

"It totally counted," Jonouchi retorted, blowing bangs out of his face. "Anyways, it's too hard to do anything with this table here. So if you're expecting a re-do, you'd better get over here."

Rolling his eyes, Kaiba moved to where Jonouchi was sitting. He sat on the edge, unsure if he should take Jonouchi seriously or not. He seemed rather determined, but then again, he was a bit of an idiot. It wouldn't surprise Kaiba if he finally balked.

Turning towards Kaiba, Jonouchi folded a leg up on the couch and licked his lips. Kaiba snorted but went along with Jonouchi's request to close his eyes, and then there was yet again the tentative weight of lips upon lips. It was soft, but nowhere near the kind of kiss that got hearts racing.

"Still unimpressed. Don't tell me you suck at this, as well," Kaiba said dryly.

"What the fuck!" Jonouchi breathed through his nose loudly, running a hand through his hair. "Whatever, close your eyes again, you ass."

This time Kaiba took the initiative, reaching a hand out behind Jonouchi's head and pulling him close. Jonouchi froze a little, but Kaiba still kissed him thoroughly, smiling deviously as they broke apart. "Take that as a pointer." He could see the fire of competition burning in Jonouchi's eyes, and Kaiba wondered briefly about what he had started, but he brushed the thought away. Really, he was far too drunk to care.

Jonouchi inched closer, their knees now touching. He—rather boldly, Kaiba noted—cupped Kaiba's face with both hands and drew them together, the kiss less experimental and more searching. It was strange how they had been drinking the same thing, yet the Scotch tasted different on Jonouchi's tongue—strange, really, how they were in his study together and seemingly making out like a pair of teenagers.

And for the third time that night, Kaiba found himself saying to hell with it.

He lost himself in the sensations of unfamiliar lips and short, quickening breaths. Jonouchi was practically sitting in his lap by that point, hands never leaving the vicinity of Kaiba's face or neck, while Kaiba's had taken on a life of their own, lightly exploring.

But when Kaiba's fingers had fluttered over Jonouchi's chest and registered the rapid pulse through the fabric of his shirt, Kaiba's mind suddenly reignited, slamming him back into the present.

This was supposed to have been just a game. He hadn't even expected Jonouchi to have the balls to call his bluff.

What the hell were they _doing_?

And a more pressing, sinking question—why was he enjoying it so much?

Before he could answer that question, there was sudden, loud knocking on the door. Jonouchi nearly fell off the couch, but Kaiba was steady enough to get some composure before approaching the door. He quickly tried readjusting his jacket and fixing his hair, but he knew it wouldn't be much use. Anyone with half a brain would be able to tell what he'd been doing if they saw a glimpse of Jonouchi in the background.

Opening the door, though, Kaiba was relieved to just find Isono there.

"The majority of your guests have departed, sir," Isono informed him quickly, "and I have been escorting the rest back to their vehicles." Or more like, from Kaiba's past memories, herding the drunken hordes back to their unfortunate drivers. Hopefully they'd be tipped well for their patience. "Would you like security to make a total sweep of the mansion for anyone who has _drifted _from the party, Seto-sama?"

Kaiba nodded his head, eyeing outside the door and watching a handful of his security "leading" one drunk fellow out of the foyer before he spoke up, "Yes. And make sure you do at least three sweeps of the entire grounds before giving the all-clear. I don't want any surprises tomorrow."

Kaiba had had enough assassination attempts for one lifetime.

Isono didn't object. He bowed before closing the door, and turning back to the middle of the room, Kaiba realized very quickly where he'd be spending the night. The entire mansion wouldn't be safe from his paranoia until Isono was done, and that would take several hours. Kaiba wouldn't feel comfortable being vulnerable in his bedroom until then.

"Hear that, Jonouchi?" Kaiba announced as he collapsed back on the couch, carefully avoiding eye contact, "Sounds like we'll be having a sleepover."

Jonouchi still appeared rather dazed, and it took him a few seconds and shaking his head before he said, "Huh? Oh. Right." He was absently tugging at his tie, but the more he struggled, the tighter it became. His neck was still distinctly flushed.

"Also," Kaiba instructed before turning away to go into a closet near his bookcase, "do not sleep in my suit."

That seemed to snap him out of it. "Um, then what am I _supposed_ to sleep in? Unless this is just some ploy to see me half-naked again…"

"Don't flatter yourself, Jonouchi, you're not that good-looking," Kaiba snorted, grabbing a handful of blankets and throwing them towards the blond's direction before speaking up again, "Besides, you should be wearing some sort of undershirt, and I'm not telling you to take off your underwear. Unless you want to."

He smirked at that, giving a wink, but it was all for the purpose of making Jonouchi even more uncomfortable...

"I'm going to get undressed, whether _you _want to look or not."

"Feh. As if," Jonouchi retorted, finally gaining some leverage on the tie. To Kaiba's great amusement, Jonouchi had made a big show about turning away from him, hastily stripping out of his shirt and pants before gathering a bunch of the blankets and burrowing himself in them on the couch. He was acting like a big baby, and Kaiba briefly contemplated how Jonouchi could flip from one extreme of physicality to the other in a matter of minutes.

"What," teased Kaiba, as he pulled off his jacket and started unbuttoning his dress shirt, "no goodnight kiss?"

Jonouchi popped his head out from under his mound of blankets to stare aghast at Kaiba. And then he scowled, turning away. "I ain't falling for that again. I think you got more than enough, already."

"You didn't fall for anything, sour face," answered Kaiba flatly, "You said you didn't feel threatened by kissing me and did it all by yourself—twice—and you took your damn time before Isono started banging on the door."

Not that Kaiba had minded much at the time. He wished he had. When Jonouchi actually took the reins and was serious about it, he was a pretty damn good kisser. His lips were soft but his movements were a bit rough, and Kaiba liked how he tasted. Maybe it was the fact that he hadn't gotten laid in so many months that the sudden physical contact had him bothered.

Kaiba sighed. "Don't let it get to your head; you'll get over it..."

The response was muffled from under thick layers of cloth: "Oh, I'm over it."

"If that was the case, you wouldn't be hiding under that blanket, shy boy..."

But Kaiba knew he wasn't going to get anywhere with Jonouchi until his embarrassment wore off. He was stubborn and childish, and Kaiba didn't have the patience or willpower (especially while intoxicated) to deal with it. All he could do was snort before finishing undressing himself and lying on his couch to get some sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

Jonouchi was late. Eleven minutes, to be precise, and with each ticking minute, Kaiba's agitation grew.

Part of Jonouchi's contract was that in addition to his tournament and promotional duties, he would also be a beta tester for any new Kaiba Corporation equipment and software. The Dueling Arenas in Kaiba Land were getting a major upgrade, and Kaiba had enlisted Jonouchi to test the new operating system and features for any bugs.

But he was late, and had given Kaiba no notice, and that was just _unacceptable_.

Normally the blond was the early type—had always arrived either on-the-dot or a few minutes early. It was a trait Kaiba appreciated in his employees and demanded from his appointments. His time was extremely limited, after all—his schedule was usually full of back-to-back-to-back meetings, leaving very little wiggle room between. As a man of efficiency, he preferred it that way.

This lapse in punctuality was a new, unwelcome development. The anniversary party had been a week ago, and Kaiba noticed that Jonouchi had been acting somewhat off ever since. The normally in-your-face Duelist was suddenly avoidant, as if Kaiba was some kind of dangerous or diseased commodity. Jonouchi probably thought that his behavior had flown under Kaiba's radar, but the truth was far from it. _Nothing_ eluded Kaiba's notice—he simply picked and chose when or if to use that information.

He had been willing to overlook the initial awkwardness. Their little game the night of the party had gone a whole lot farther than Kaiba had ever expected it would, and so he had allowed Jonouchi to recollect himself the following day and the day after that. But then the third day of avoidance arrived, and now it had been an entire _week_, and Jonouchi was _late_, and Kaiba had just about had it with his immature antics.

Not meeting his gaze. Keeping a wide berth of distance. Short, noncommittal replies.

It was infuriating.

Kaiba knew he wasn't the most patient man, but an abundance of patience wasn't how he'd created a multibillion-yen corporation. And now Jonouchi was testing what little patience Kaiba had left, and Kaiba would be damned if he had to reschedule this test session, thereby pushing the launch schedule back.

He stared at his office door as the seconds ticked by, tapping his foot against the carpet hard as his patience continued to wear thin. Having half a mind to just call Jonouchi and ask where the hell he was, Kaiba stopped himself out of pride. Wasn't he hoping that Jonouchi would eventually fall on his face? The guy had embarrassed him in that back alley Duel, and they weren't buddies just because Jonouchi could kiss decently when appropriately baited. The corners of his lips twitching, Kaiba grumbled as he continued to stew before his thoughts were finally broken.

"-I got stuck in traffic, but I know that's not an excuse. It won't happen again," Jonouchi blurted quickly as he closed the door and took the seat across from Kaiba's desk, "I would have called, but my cell phone broke."

"Should have bought a new one," replied Kaiba neutrally.

To his own surprise, he stopped himself from allowing his irritation to show. Hopefully this lateness wouldn't happen again like Jonouchi promised, or else Kaiba would have to reprimand him somehow. But it didn't need to come to that, and Kaiba wanted to avoid that kind of confrontation, anyways. Especially with someone he had lip-locked, Jonouchi being his employee...

"Anyways, I need you to go downstairs to the R&amp;D department to test out a few updates that we've been working on to the old Kaiba Land arenas. We won't have time to finish it today, especially since you decided to show up_ late,_ but I guess we can always just make you stay longer to get the job done at a reasonable time."

Jonouchi wasn't looking at Kaiba in the eyes, and Kaiba found that unsettling. His gaze was usually rude and forward. Now Kaiba had no idea what Jonouchi was thinking.

He was also fidgeting with his hands, and all he did was shake his head at first before spilling an answer, "Y-yes, I can stay after."

"That's it?" asked Kaiba, "No complaining or argument from you? That's a first."

Looking away even more, Jonouchi just shrugged his shoulders.

"I see."

Kaiba sighed loudly. Jonouchi was not really with him at the moment. Again. He was acting silly, and Kaiba waved his hand away at him, "Just go get started already; we can talk about my other plans later.

"But before you go," Kaiba said as Jonouchi made his way to the door, "take these with you." He fished out a file folder from his desk drawer and handed it over; Jonouchi took it wordlessly and had stared at his hands all the while. "I _was_ going to brief you on those before you went down there, but seeing as there's no time for that, you'll have to make due on your own."

Jonouchi peered at the large stack of papers, nearly losing a few from the overstuffed folder, "What are these?"

"Things you are to be on the lookout for during the testing. If you have any questions, be sure to address them to Asano. But try not to be much of a bother."

There was a pinched expression on Jonouchi's face, as though he had made to say something but thought better of it. Giving Kaiba a fleeting glance, Jonouchi silently left the office, closing the door behind him.

Kaiba leaned back into his seat, grumbling while he pinched his nose. He knew this would happen. Jonouchi wasn't like most of the people Kaiba usually messed around with; this probably got into his head a little more than they both realized. It would make their business relationship a bit strained, he was sure, but Jonouchi would have to just get over it.

Hopefully.

Wasn't he straight? Besides maybe a little bit of the grossness factor getting to his head, that kiss shouldn't have mattered that much to Jonouchi. Kaiba certainly hadn't been so affected the limited times he'd tried kissing women, and it certainly didn't make him act awkward with them days after. If anything, he was just as respectfully reserved as ever.

Something had happened.

But there wasn't time for worrying about that now when the work day was still upon him. Grabbing his phone out of his pocket, Kaiba quickly dialed Mokuba, well-aware that the time zone differences would be a bitch, but he didn't exactly care about that while he became bothered by the situation between them again.

Seven rings went by before it went to voicemail. Kaiba hurriedly hit the call end button, frowning at his phone as it disconnected. There had been a time when Mokuba would have picked up his call, no matter where he was or hour of the day it had been. That time seemed far away.

Sighing, Kaiba absently spun his cell phone around on his desk. Maybe Mokuba would see the missed call and call him back. Maybe he should have left a message. Maybe he shouldn't have called at all. Kaiba didn't know.

Kaiba hated second-guessing himself. But the act was occurring with pronounced frequency, and he hated himself a little for it. He didn't want it to become a habit. He was _the_ Kaiba Seto, goddammit, and his actions were always decisive. He never really considered others' reactions.

And now two of them were slapping him in the face.

What was he going to do about Jonouchi? Mokuba, he couldn't do much about—the physical separation was an additional hindrance, and Kaiba wasn't going to turn tail and make a trans-Pacific chase. But Jonouchi—he certainly _wasn't _about to coddle the idiot, but if Kaiba let Jonouchi's behavior continue as it was, it was going to become a problem.

Jonouchi would be too busy all that day to deal with personally, though. Besides, Kaiba actually did care about his beta testing getting done, and it was more important for those projects to be finalized than dealing with whatever silly nonsense that was going on in Jonouchi's head. He could deal with that later, but it would have to be dealt with _quickly._

Closing his eyes, Kaiba took a few breaths and tried relaxing before he finally felt his frustration begin to subside. He'd call Jonouchi tomorrow, for a meeting over dinner. He'd force the retard to deal with them together, alone, and hopefully settle whatever awkward feelings Jonouchi had going on, because they needed to be on the same page. Whatever stupid thing that happened between them during the party was in the past now, and Kaiba certainly wasn't going to allow something as meaningless as a kiss get to him.

Especially one he shared with someone he presumed to be a straight guy.

Supposedly.

* * *

Getting Jonouchi to agree to dinner had actually been a rather painless affair. It almost threw Kaiba, since Jonouchi had an affinity for being obstinate, but perhaps it was Jonouchi's new-found docility at work. Whatever the reason, Kaiba wasn't going to complain—it meant one less headache during his prevailingly stressful days.

He had selected a small bistro near the outskirts of town. It was still upscale but wasn't as nice as the restaurant they had dined at with Yoshitaka, but the food was good, and the venue was known for its owners' dedication to the privacy of their clients. Many a discreet meet-up had taken place there, involving members at all levels of the social chain: politicians, yakuza, celebrities, prostitutes, mistresses… The owners didn't discriminate, and that was enough for Kaiba.

He had been seated at a corner booth towards the back of the bistro. It was dimly-lit, and a little more intimate than Kaiba would have preferred, but it was better to feel a little awkward than to have his private life broadcast for any prying ear to hear. Kaiba had largely managed to avoid the tabloids his entire career, and he hoped to keep it that way.

In a turn of events, Jonouchi arrived on time. Kaiba had almost expected him to have dragged his feet when it came down to the actual dinner, and he felt a little pleased that perhaps matters with Jonouchi were already improving.

Jonouchi had dressed for the occasion: black slacks with a tucked-in garnet button-down, sleeves rolled up. Kaiba was glad that the idiot was actually making use of his new wardrobe and apparently had been paying attention to his run-down of appropriate business attire.

"Sorry if I'm late," he said while taking the seat across from Kaiba, "I had to catch a cab first. Didn't want to ruin my clothes riding my bike over here."

"A wise decision," Kaiba said as he took a sip of his wine, "Nice to know that head of yours isn't just for show."

Jonouchi snorted and rolled his eyes, "So what did you want to see me about? It's not like you just invite people to dinner for shits and giggles."

"You," Kaiba replied, matter-of-fact.

"Huh."

Blinking, Jonouchi leaned back into his seat before averting his eyes and sipping his glass of water anxiously. He pulled his seat back a little, and once he was done quickly drinking his water, he finally looked up and frowned.

"What about me? I did everything you wanted yesterday—I got the beta testing done, and the tech guys said I did a good job. What else do you want?"

Kaiba kept his face neutral as he watched Jonouchi squirm. "This isn't about your performance. It's about your _attitude_, as of late. Would you care to explain your behavior, or shall I enumerate?"

Dropping his jaw slightly in irritation, Jonouchi crossed his arms. "No, go ahead and enlighten me."

Kaiba leaned back in his seat and inclined his head, fully appraising the man across from him. "Let's start with your sudden disregard for punctuality. Your avoidant behavior. I'm your _boss_, Jonouchi, yet you act as though you can't stand to share the same breathing space with me. You won't even look me in the eye when I address you, and you act as though you can't wait to escape my presence.

"Does this sound familiar? By all means, correct me if I'm wrong."

"I'm not avoiding you..." He fidgeted in his seat slightly before biting his lip, "I'll be on time now; I just had a really bad week, but I know that's not an excuse."

Crossing his legs, Kaiba picked up his glass and swirled its contents. Signalling at their waitress, Kaiba paused as his glass was refilled and Jonouchi was served, as well. "If you know, then put it into practice for the future. And if you aren't avoiding me, then what _have_ you been doing, Jonouchi?"

"Nothing."

"Hmm," Kaiba intoned thoughtfully as he stared at Jonouchi, "I am not prone to delusions, nor am I wrong in my assessments of others. Are you calling me a liar, then?"

"No," Jonouchi sighed, touching his temple as if he had a headache, "You aren't a liar, but you are picking at me again. Like usual. Might as well get used to it, since you will probably never change."

Kaiba sighed, feeling his blood pressure rise. This wasn't going as he had planned. "I didn't call this meeting to talk about myself, Jonouchi—I called it to talk about _you_. We can talk about me later, if you're that determined to make a big deal out of it.

"So out with it—what's brought on this sudden change in behavior? Because just months ago, you were hunting me down, and now you act as though I have the plague."

"I don't like you," Jonouchi answered flatly, "isn't that reason enough? I don't see why I need to start spending time around you like we're buddies or something, when we most definitely aren't. Besides, you treat me like crap on a regular basis, even with this job.

"And I already won a Duel against you, remember?"

Kaiba's mouth twitched. If Jonouchi didn't tread carefully, he'd soon be experiencing Kaiba's fangs… "My, how that little speech sounds familiar. I don't want nor need anything asinine like your friendship, Jonouchi, but as your _boss_, I do expect the respect I am entitled. So how about we try again." Kaiba made it very clear that it wasn't a question.

"I already answered your question, Kaiba."

It was obvious that Jonouchi was trying to stop his face from displaying just how irritated he was. His lips were tight, and his right side kept twitching, but besides that, he appeared determined not to just explode like Kaiba probably would have predicted him to.

"Are we going to just keep going around in circles all night or what?"

"While you may find that to be a productive waste of your time, I'll just be direct. This is about the other night, isn't it?"

"What other night are you referring to?" Jonouchi blinked again, his face twisting before he rolled his eyes and sighed loudly. "That stupid party last week? I don't care about your homoness, Kaiba, I should have been able to tell years ago..."

"And yet you didn't," Kaiba replied dryly. "But that knowledge is the only thing that has changed since your sudden mood shift, so you can't deny the corollary. _You_ were the one who was curious about _me_-"

"-Because of your inappropriate comments towards me," Jonouchi pointed out as he took another sip of water, ignoring his glass of wine entirely, "which I'm sure aren't exactly professional or even _legal _considering sexual harassment in the workplace is usually pretty frowned upon, right? You want to point fingers at me, well maybe you should be more critical of your own behavior, pal..."

Finally a waiter arrived, and they quickly gave their orders. Jonouchi only glanced at his menu.

Fuck. "I'd say it would be pretty hard to cry sexual harassment when you were the one practically crawling in my lap," Kaiba said icily, taking a long sip of his wine.

"Only because you told me to," Jonouchi answered back, "and you kept pressing drinks on me, too."

"Funny, because as I recall, _I_ wasn't the one beckoning _you _over, and you were pouring enough drinks on your own."

"You did tell me to come into that stupid room with you because of whatever reason," Jonouchi pointed out, his eyes narrowing as his face became more flushed, "It wasn't my idea to be drinking alone, but you pulled me from the party. I was drinking because I was offered and didn't want to insult someone, and by the time it was just you and me, I was already pretty intoxicated.

"Just leave it alone, Kaiba. Blame it on the alcohol—it all doesn't matter anyways. Don't worry too hard about me; it's not like I'm going to go tell someone back at work that you got an employee drunk and tried feeling him up afterwards..."

Kaiba felt his grip tighten uncomfortably around his wine glass, and so he placed it carefully back on the table. "If it didn't matter, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Next time, I'll leave you to the sharks and see how you like that."

"I won't drink, then."

Jonouchi just shrugged. He rolled his eyes and started looking over the menu again, despite already having ordered.

"Your state of soberness or inebriation won't matter much to them," Kaiba scoffed.

"They can't just haul me out in public unless I willingly go with them," Jonouchi pointed out as he started laughing obnoxiously, "Don't be so absurd. Besides, you aren't my white knight. I don't need you. I've ran with harder crowds before than your silly drunk old men."

"Whoever said they needed to take you away to eat you alive? And you'll see where your fists get you when you're dealing with people who have money."

"You'd let them harass your own employee just because you're a spiteful asshole? Wow. I should have guessed. Makes me wonder how you treat the people who work for you that you aren't interested in sleeping with..."

It was Kaiba's turn to laugh. "Don't flatter yourself, Jonouchi. Besides, you've made it very clear that you're capable of taking care of yourself, so you wouldn't need me to be your 'white knight' and step in to call harassment, would you."

"I don't," Jonouchi continued defiantly. "And unless you have something more to say that's actually pertinent to my job performance, I'm leaving. I might work for you, but I don't have to listen to this bullshit after working hours. You're like some angry girl who got jilted because she found out that the boys don't like her. Keep on being an ugly person—I'm sure someone will eventually want to deal with that kind of bullshit."

He got up and walked towards the door after that.

Kaiba's fingers scratched across the surface of the table. His head was throbbing, and his jaw was clenching in anger.

Fuck Jonouchi. Who the fuck did he think he was.

Pushing away from the table, Kaiba reached into his jacket and left an array of money on the table. He stomped after Jonouchi, nearly throwing the door open. The blond was waiting just steps from the entrance, staring at his cell phone. "Need I remind you, Jonouchi, that your contract doesn't specify 'working hours.' And that as you are having a _meeting _with your employer's CEO, you are still on the clock. So this meeting isn't over until I have dismissed you."

"Simple, then. I quit."

Kaiba stared at Jonouchi in shock for a second before placing his hands on his hips and inhaling deeply. He closed his eyes and pinched at the bridge of his nose. "I think you'd want to take another look at your contract before you just up and quit." He sighed loudly. "Look, I get it. You're angry. But I'm not just going to allow you to quit because you're too hot-headed to look beyond the present."

But it was more than that. He couldn't just lose his latest investment after parading him around quite publicly to all of the corporation's investors. The Board would have a _field_ day with that—probably call a special session to demand a mental assessment or his resignation. So although it made Kaiba's blood boil to acknowledge it, Jonouchi had the upper hand in the argument.

It was like Mokuba all over again.

"Are we done, then?"

Looking impatiently between the street and Jonouchi, Kaiba tapped his fingers against his hip before sighing in defeat. He would have to pursue a different line of tactics to try to get Jonouchi to remove his head from his ass. "Just come with me. I'll drive you home, and we can settle this matter like adults."

Jonouchi gave Kaiba a skeptical look before finally following behind him, putting both his hands in his pockets and becoming absolutely silent. His face was glued to the sidewalk, and he didn't speak up until they were inside the confines of Kaiba's sports car.

"I'm hungry."

Kaiba snorted as he turned the ignition. "You would have had a free meal if you hadn't stormed out like that."

"I have ramen at home."

"Jonouchi, I pay more than enough for you to not eat like a broke college student," Kaiba deadpanned.

Jonouchi just shrugged his shoulders in silent reply.

Snorting again, this time with an edge of softness, Kaiba reversed the car and pulled out onto the main drag. "I can stop for takeout. Just don't get anything on the seats." It wasn't like he hadn't done the same for his brother.

"I have ramen," Jonouchi repeated without an ounce of enthusiasm.

"Fine." Why was this so damn _difficult_?

"Don't drop me off too close to my place, either," sighed Jonouchi, "Your car is too flashy. I can catch the bus or something to ride all the way there."

Grunting non-committally in response, Kaiba kept his eyes on the road, only stealing occasional glances in Jonouchi's direction in the rear view mirror. His passenger was slumped in his seat, elbow propped up against the window, gaze fixed on the city passing by.

"I still think you're acting out over that party last week," mumbled Kaiba under his breath. "I don't see why you need to act like something has changed between us, because nothing has. I'm still just your boss and that's all, since you made it abundantly clear that you aren't looking for a friendship between us any longer."

"I don't want to talk about it anymore..."

"Well, I want to," Kaiba challenged, "so it looks like you aren't going to get what you want this evening until I'm done with you."

Jonouchi made an incoherent noise out of his nose that sounded like aggravation, but Kaiba couldn't exactly tell.

"You don't have to like me, but the fact is that we have a business relationship, and so we need to—if not be civil to each other, at least learn to work together. We were fine before the party-"

"-You never had your tongue down my throat before the party..."

"And the reverse applies to me, but you don't see me acting like a big baby over it," Kaiba replied, rolling his eyes even though he knew the effect was lost on Jonouchi.

"Men aren't suppose to do those kind of things together."

The petulance in Jonouchi's tone almost made Kaiba laugh. "Jonouchi, men have done worse things together for millennia. Samurai used to fuck each other because they thought it was noble."

"I don't want to know about it..."

Kaiba sighed. "We kissed. It's not like it's going to suddenly make you gay, or anything. You've bounced back from worse; I don't know why you're sulking so much over this…"

"Because it had to be you," Jonouchi lamented, "of all the assholes in my life. At least if it had been Honda or Yugi, it could have been funny. Something to laugh about later. But no. It was _you_. You can't see at all why that would bother me so much?"

They were stopped at a red light. Kaiba was silent until it flipped to green, and pushed down on the accelerator with a little more force than needed. The car lurched forward, and Kaiba ground his teeth, irrationally offended. "No, I don't. Why is it such a big deal?"

"I shouldn't have to explain this to you." Jonouchi had his arms on the dashboard, looking somewhat startled when the car jumped forward like he was about to sail into the front window. His eyes were big, but he kept his mouth thin and tight. "You've always treated me like shit. For years. And I never understood why. I didn't do _anything_ to you. You're just a miserable person, and you think you can just insert yourself into my life again and tell me what to do. And now you're gay, well..." Jonouchi paused, for a moment, unsure where he was going there. "-I'm tired of being fucked around with by you because you think it's funny. I'm not your chew toy, Kaiba. Did you even hire me because you believed in my dueling?"

"Jonouchi, you were always the one trying to insert yourself into _my_ life. You and your little group of friends. I'm not sure what my sexuality has to do with any of this, but the truth is, I've put both my name and my company behind you. My reputation depends in part on your success.

"I wasn't 'fucking around' with you last week. It was a game, and you agreed to it, so it's not like I led you into anything you didn't want to do. I'll admit, it might have gotten out of hand, but neither of us were crying foul then." Kaiba risked a glance at Jonouchi, but the other still had his head turned away. They were getting close to Jonouchi's side of town, and Kaiba slowed to just under the speed limit to give them more time to resolve things. He was mentally exhausted, and the prospect of dealing with Jonouchi's moodiness for another week was daunting.

"Yeah, I know. I won't make that mistake again, Kaiba."

Folding his arms tightly against his chest, Jonouchi stared out his side of the window, not budging. His eyebrows were furrowed and his face was growing red with frustration. Kaiba knew the look.

"You also didn't answer my question," Jonouchi pointed out, "Did you give me the contract because you believed in my dueling? Yes or no?"

"I don't believe in anyone but myself," Kaiba countered, "but I do believe in your potential. I don't just give out sponsorships to anyone, so read into that what you will."

Jonouchi made no reply.

They traveled in silence before Kaiba spoke again. "Do you have any other questions for me?"

"No." Jonouchi paused as he glanced at Kaiba for a moment and then looked back out his window again. "I don't want to talk to you anymore. Just drop me off at this corner if you're done already."

Pulling the car over, Kaiba set it into idle and leaned back heavily in his seat. The interior was bathed in an orange glow from the streetlight behind them. "I'll expect you on time tomorrow."

"I will be."

"Good. And I trust that whatever nonsense that has been going on in your head has been resolved? I don't want to deal with another repeat of this past week, so since we've agreed that what happened between us was nothing, then there shouldn't be a problem, should there."

There was eye avoidance as Jonouchi just merely shrugged. It was clear that he was waiting to be released and was no longer mentally invested in what Kaiba had to say. Probably didn't help that they didn't eat and Kaiba was starving, but it still got on his nerves.

"It didn't mean anything," Jonouchi repeated under his breath, "Okay? Can I go now?"

Kaiba sighed—almost growled—in frustration. It was evident that _something_ was still bothering Jonouchi, and the sudden hammering that had ebbed during the drive returned abruptly in his head. He just wanted the whole ordeal to be _over_ already, and in near desperation, his mind flashed an outlandish suggestion.

It was _crazy_, but he was so damn _tired_, and maybe it would take something crazy and stupid to reason with someone equally illogical.

Worth a shot. "Look at me." Jonouchi hesitated but gave him a withering look, impatience written all over his face. Kaiba steeled himself, let out a short breath, then reached over and grabbed a fistful of Jonouchi's collar, pulling the other close. The abruptness caught Jonouchi off-guard, and capitalizing on it, Kaiba closed his eyes and closed the gap between them, pressing his lips against Jonouchi's cold ones.

A few seconds later, Jonouchi became aware enough to try shoving Kaiba off with both his hands, but Kaiba was too angry to allow it. He caught both the man's wrists in his grip, holding them tight enough that Jonouchi couldn't budge free.

He didn't even know what he was doing. What he'd accomplish by kissing him, pushing Jonouchi up against his seat as Kaiba turned out of his own, becoming more rough in his motions. It became more evident to Kaiba that he liked what he was doing, and he felt a wave of urgency rush through him everytime he sucked in a breath against Jonouchi's mouth.

But it didn't _mean_ anything. It was just a stupid kiss, nothing to get all bent out of shape over. Couldn't Jonouchi see that?

The tension in Jonouchi's wrists slowly dwindled away, and Kaiba could feel Jonouchi's short breaths ease back into long, deep inhalations. The subtle shifting was enough for Kaiba, who pressed on as Jonouchi responded in turn, their mouths opening wider as Kaiba let go of Jonouchi's wrists. Something at the back of Kaiba's mind told him to stop, but that thought was brushed aside when he felt Jonouchi's hands curl into the fabric of his sleeves.

And was that just a _moan_ that escaped Jonouchi's lips?

All coherent thought abandoned Kaiba as he felt his sense of urgency flow into Jonouchi. It was strangely circuitous, how Jonouchi seemed to draw his fervency in and return it with equal intensity. The rush went to Kaiba's head, spreading out low through his body.

Somehow his hands had traveled up to the nape of Jonouchi's neck, brushing against the ends of his hair. Kaiba gently kneaded his fingers upward, until he was cradling the back of Jonouchi's head against his palm. He was surprised at how soft the hair was—not silky like a woman's, but pleasing to the touch, all the same.

Besides, he wasn't interested in having anyone feel like a woman while he was kissing them. He got caught up in the feeling of his excitement beginning to take hold, Kaiba's groin feeling strangely tight before he was shoved hard against the driver-side door. Groaning, he opened his eyes and glared only to find Jonouchi stumbling out the door, taking off running once he was outside.

"Fuck."

That definitely hadn't gone to plan. Kaiba watched as Jonouchi disappeared into the darkness, his stomach dropping as he sat alone in silence. He didn't even have the energy to hit his head against the wheel.

Instead, he slammed his hands onto it, letting the horn sound off loudly into the night.


	12. Chapter 12

Kaiba knew something was wrong when he began his day by waking up from bed too late. It was just a small thing, being ten minutes late, but it only escalated throughout that morning, making things crumble until it became an uncontrollable avalanche. He had to rush through his shower without time to properly blow dry and style his hair, and when he went to put on his favorite work suit, he found a stain on the jacket.

How it had gotten there, Kaiba didn't know. It unnerved him at first, but he brushed it aside as he went hastily through his closet, settling on a black dress shirt and his signature black leather pants, since he wasn't planning on seeing anyone of significant importance that day.

Then while running downstairs and waiting to take off in his favorite sports car, his staff informed him that the Ferrari had to be taken in earlier that morning for repairs. Kaiba didn't remember doing anything to wreck his car the night before (he had driven back home sober after dropping Jonouchi off, after all), but apparently his driver had noticed something while taking it out of the garage.

Instead of driving himself, Kaiba had to settle for getting a ride in his Bentley. His personal chauffeur was a quick driver, but that hadn't been in Kaiba's plans. He hadn't been dropped off in front of headquarters since he had turned sixteen. It simply was no longer part of his routine.

Once arriving at Kaiba Corporation, he went through the front doors and was greeted immediately by surprised staff, and he rode the elevator up with several confused members of middle management. He didn't even try acknowledging any of them, and once he was alone, Kaiba reached the top floor where his chief executive office was only to discover that his secretary had called in a personal day because her son was sick.

There was no coffee waiting for him at his desk. It was completely unsatisfactory.

And grumbling through his messy morning, Kaiba knew he had probably verbally abused the assistant secretary, who wasn't as well-versed in his the daily routine, but he didn't care. When the poor just-out-of-college intern arrived with his coffee later, Kaiba heckled him ruthlessly for a good minute about the finer details of using the correct coffee-to-cream ratio he preferred before waving him away.

Nothing went right that morning. His daily progress reports didn't appear until almost eight o'clock, and he didn't have enough time to really prepare for his regular staff meeting.

Coming out of it, Kaiba was well on his way to being completely deplete of patience when he found Jonouchi sitting anxiously on his couch, fiddling with his hands before looking up at Kaiba.

"What are you doing here?"

They just stared at each other for a good few seconds before Jonouchi frowned and looked away, his arms crossing against his chest.

"Yesterday, you told me to show up on time, so here I am. We have a meeting today, remember?"

"Of course," Kaiba replied snippily as he strode across the room to his desk. Actually, he _had_ forgotten, especially with his regular secretary not there to dictate his day. Jonouchi, naturally, didn't need to know any of that—he'd probably derive some cruel sense of schadenfreude from Kaiba's string of inconveniences. Not that Kaiba hadn't been guilty of the reverse.

Settling into his seat, Kaiba threw his meeting handouts on a side pile and quickly scrolled through his email. There was nothing urgent, but one message in particular did remind him of a rather bothersome event for later in the week…

"The testings you did last week," Jonouchi's head snapped forward as Kaiba spoke, "I want a full debriefing on your findings."

"Why? The techs said everything was fine, so why do I need to bother you with the details?" Kaiba could detect a hint of annoyance in Jonouchi's voice, but he chose to dismiss it. He had far too little remaining patience to let something so trivial get to him that early in his work day.

"Because it is my job to know the details and the reason I pay people to discover them for me," Kaiba said. "A Kaiba Land delegation from America is coming later this week, and they'll want to know the results from the upgrade testings, since that park will open with the new software installed. If you don't feel like typing it out, get the intern to work with you. God knows Nakahara needs _something _to keep him busy…

"I expect the report by close of business today. You can leave it on Eguchi's desk, even though she isn't here today. I'll pick it up later."

"-Why did you kiss me last night?"

Kaiba's hand paused mid-signature. Shit, he'd have to get Nakahara to print the page out again. "This isn't the time or place, Jonouchi."

"Yeah well, don't do it again, then."

He got up and left quickly before Kaiba could add his two cents in. Jonouchi all but slammed the door shut, stalking away loudly, and Kaiba just glowered at his desk for a good minute as he felt his face become unbearably hot.

Kaiba knew Jonouchi was hard-headed, but he'd given him enough credit not to bring up sensitive matters at the workplace. But no, Jonouchi really _was _lacking in the common sense department, and it made Kaiba a little paranoid to think of other inappropriate opportunities where Jonouchi could theoretically run his big mouth. The last thing Kaiba needed was to have his headquarters swarming with rumors starring its usually-secretive CEO.

He didn't really want to be reminded about the previous night, anyway. Kaiba had filed the incident away as a serious lapse in judgment, culminating from a week's worth of frustration and fatigue. He had been ready to forget about it, and then Jonouchi just _had_ to bring it up.

It wasn't all that unfair, Kaiba conceded. He _had_ surprised Jonouchi last night in the car, and although Jonouchi had seemingly warmed to Kaiba's actions, the fact remained that he had forced himself upon Jonouchi initially. It had only been to prove a point, but something had changed midway—for the both of them—and the whole idea made Kaiba incredibly uncomfortable.

What he'd done wasn't entirely right, either. Despite still feeling slightly bruised from being nearly thrown into his driver-side door last night, Kaiba knew he probably deserved much more than that. He'd be pretty damn upset if some guy just threw himself at him aggressively and he didn't have the space to escape, and Jonouchi was probably still pretty sore about it, but...

But.

It had seemed like, at the time, he'd liked it, too.

And that caused all sorts of unsettling emotions to erupt in Kaiba's gut that he did not want to deal with. He could try lying to himself, saying that his little discovery really didn't matter, but it didn't stop his body from tingling at the memory. That had never happened before, and despite whatever anger he still harbored at Jonouchi for being a bull-headed idiot, the prospect of physical contact with Jonouchi again didn't bother Kaiba. At all. And that thought was just _wrong_.

Kaiba had never gotten entangled with employees before. He'd been careful. Extremely paranoid, in fact, concerning the kinds of people he decided to take the chance of sleeping with. Most of his partners had lived outside of Japan, where Kaiba wasn't afraid of being discovered by the media. Outside of one disastrous relationship with a semi-successful actress, he'd stayed away from people in his own country.

In America, he'd fooled around and only actually had sex with less than a handful of men. Only one of them had been a one-night stand: a drunken potential investor Kaiba had never seen again after the initial hook-up. His bartender boyfriend, if he could even call him that, didn't even know who Kaiba_ was_. It was incredibly troubling that Kaiba had broken all his carefully laid-out rules for the idiot he'd known and hated since fucking high school...

Jonouchi was too hard-headed to even realize he might be interested in men, and there was no logical reason on earth for Kaiba to even pursue him to find out what would happen. It was a foolish idea.

Still, now that the idea had flickered in the back of his mind, he was sure it wouldn't ever leave.

Perhaps some time apart would cool things down. Kaiba would be busy preparing for and then entertaining the American delegation, so he was sure he could find some menial tasks to shove onto Jonouchi for the rest of the week. And with some distance, whatever silly thoughts that were percolating in his mind would eventually evaporate, and Jonouchi could get over being butthurt about the whole matter.

It wasn't like he _enjoyed_ being grossly unprofessional, and with the contract in place, Kaiba would have to deal directly with Jonouchi for at least the next two years. It made no sense for both of them to be miserable for the whole duration.

Kaiba rested his head on his desk and rolled his pen around, sighing loudly. None of this mess would've ever happened had Mokuba not run away. Had they never gotten into that argument. And while Kaiba wanted his brother back desperately, Kaiba wasn't sure how happy he'd be to finally see him, given all the conundrums that had occurred during his absence.

It was only quarter past ten. Six hours and forty-five more minutes of the regular work day, plus all the additional hours Kaiba ended up working on a daily basis. Sitting back in his chair, Kaiba knew he had to _try_ being productive, or he'd only end up paying for it later. He picked up the phone and got to work.

* * *

When the next day came, Kaiba was surprised to find Jonouchi's report sitting neatly in his inbox, all typed out and ready for review. Clearly it wasn't a product of Jonouchi's own writing skills, since he probably had no idea what to do for a business report. Not that he could be blamed, since no one had ever taught him, but that was why Kaiba had thrown his intern at him in the first place. Nakahara was well-versed in that sort of thing and could fill whatever gaps Jonouchi wasn't educated enough to figure out.

Kaiba sat down and read it as he enjoyed his morning coffee. Thankfully, his regular secretary was back, and he relaxed in his large, overstuffed leather chair while facing the giant window behind his desk.

The system updates had worked perfectly. That meant everything should be good to go in California, when the Americans would return home with the software to load onto their own gaming arenas. Kaiba didn't want any screw-ups, and the United States already had a high opinion of Japanese programming capabilities. He didn't want to disappoint their expectations.

Thankfully, the check-ups had been completed appropriately, but no doubt the Americans would want some sort of demonstration. They liked being entertained, and Kaiba usually didn't mind soaking up the positive attention, but for once, he didn't feel like putting on a show. Jonouchi would be the obvious solution to that equation—have him put on some sort of quick Duel—but Kaiba didn't want to deal with him. He had half a mind to give Jonouchi a few days off, just to keep the idiot away until the foreign guests were gone.

Kaiba couldn't have anything go wrong.

There was no one else good enough to showcase the improvements, though. Grumbling, Kaiba sifted through the papers before tossing the stack into his outbox and checking his emails for anything of interest.

He wanted to see the programming updates for himself. Nakahara could show him before lunch; the intern probably knew how to play Duel Monsters well enough without embarrassing himself. Most young people played the game by now, and he wouldn't have landed the internship if he _hadn't_ any modicum of interest in the game.

"Eguchi, get me Nakahara," Kaiba spoke into the speakerphone. A few seconds later, the door to his office opened and closed quickly, his young intern attempting to smooth out the creases in his jacket before standing ramrod straight.

"You called, Kaiba-sama?"

Kaiba pushed away from his desk, standing to pull his own suit jacket back on. "We're taking a little walk to Kaiba Land. Tell Eguchi to reschedule my appointments for the next hour."

Walking the few blocks down to Kaiba Land had been blissfully silent. It was a welcome change from Jonouchi's incessant pestering, and Kaiba had ignored Nakahara's rather obvious nervousness, not bothering to shorten his long strides. He navigated through the park with ease, weaving through the large crowds that were trying to get in a last bit of fun before the seasons officially changed. A few heads had turned in recognition, but Kaiba had ignored those as well—today was not the day he would humor any fanboys or the like. Nakamura, for his part, had kept up decently well.

Finally arriving at the back entrance of the Dueling Arena, Kaiba punched in his security code at a door marked "STAFF ONLY" and made his way through the dimly-lit hallways. They made a pit stop to pick up a lead technician along the way, and they eventually arrived at the only station that should have been unoccupied.

Only it wasn't.

A certain familiar blond was behind one of the platforms, his opponent a kid that couldn't have been older than nine or ten. The Solid Vision holograms had been engaged, and a Duel was in progress. Three other kids—a girl and two boys—were leaning against the railing of the bleachers, chatting excitedly amongst themselves and pointing at the intimidating monsters on the field. A wave of recognition hit Kaiba unexpectedly, the four children reminiscent of another Duelist and his group of cheerleaders from years ago.

Kaiba hovered by the exit, signaling for his companions not to intrude before crossing his arms over his chest and observing the ongoing battle. Jonouchi was clearly just fooling around, letting the kid get in a few attacks and not crushing him entirely. He was laughing loudly and miming exaggerated reactions, much to the delight of his audience.

He wasn't sure if he should feel angry over Jonouchi fooling around with expensive company equipment or charmed by him playing around with the amused children. If Kaiba made a scene and ushered them away, it might leave the wrong kind of impression and he didn't want to scare off his key demographic, but Jonouchi couldn't use his private Dueling Arenas to entertain whatever kids who happened to come his way.

Thankfully, the Duel was almost over. Jonouchi played Time Wizard, and it spun its little dial around rapidly before landing, sending the poor kid's monster into another dimension. With his side of the field open, Jonouchi blew the boy away with Jinzo, and the Duel was over.

Clearing his throat loudly, Kaiba frowned when Jonouchi met his eyes. Jonouchi looked startled at first, and then almost mad. As if he had any right to be, but apparently neither of them had the desire to make a huge scene out of it, because Jonouchi only patted the kid's back and herded them off before Kaiba could say anything.

"It's been working perfectly since the reprogramming," said the lead tech as Kaiba watched Jonouchi walk right out the door before snapping his attention back to reality, "We worked with it for hours, testing all the cards in the playing database. There were barely, if any, glitches at all, and we already fixed the majority of them last night. We can tackle the rest tonight; I don't think they'll stop your plans to send the software over to Kaiba Land California, Kaiba-sama. It's all going according to schedule."

"At least something is going right."

He still made Nakahara play a quick game against the computer, but Kaiba had already seen a preview of what had been going on. The new system was working. His idea had apparently worked, and the upper executives wouldn't have anything to complain about the next day. It would keep the investors happy, having that bit of progress, and hopefully would attract more dueling competitions to Kaiba Land California as news of their advancements came out.

But despite the good news, Jonouchi's dismissal still burned at Kaiba's nerves. While Kaiba wasn't one for accepting bullshit excuses, he had expected Jonouchi to at least have the decency to apologize for his intrusion. Being a KaibaCorp employee, Jonouchi wasn't exactly trespassing, but it was a rather flagrant misuse of his privileges. And his pointedly nasty expression upon exiting was wholly uncalled for, but Kaiba wasn't sure any disciplinary actions were worth the hassle. It would probably only strain their already rocky relationship further, and with the American delegation arriving in only a matter of days, Kaiba didn't need the extra stress.

Besides, Jonouchi's demonstration only proved, however begrudgingly, that Kaiba would need to enlist him for their impending visit. Nakahara's play-through was sufficient for illustrating the software's basic capacities, but it would take an actual professional to showcase its complete potential. And while Jonouchi hadn't been serious in his match against the kid, Kaiba had seen enough to conclude that Jonouchi would be the best person for the task.

Only if the idiot would be cooperative. At this point, Jonouchi was an unpredictable variable. Could Kaiba really trust Jonouchi to behave himself, given his most recent attitude problems? It wouldn't look favorable to Kaiba at all to have an employee he couldn't control, especially in front of the rather brash and forceful Americans. They would probably appreciate Jonouchi's spirit while at the same time look down at Kaiba's leadership. And that was unacceptable.

But he'd gotten himself into this predicament, hadn't he? Kaiba was the one who had suggested the dumb game and had gotten carried away with it. And he'd only exacerbated the problem two nights ago, when he'd practically attacked Jonouchi with his face. Things had been settling into a somewhat comfortable truce before the stupid anniversary party, and Kaiba had fucked things up rather spectacularly.

He cursed his hormones, the alcohol, and Jonouchi's curiosity. But most of all, Kaiba cursed himself for the uncomfortable stirrings Jonouchi elicited in his gut, and for Jonouchi, who still played determinedly oblivious to everything.

As if he wasn't aware of his part in it all...

Kaiba turned away sharply after that to avoid showing his face, pinching hard at the bridge of his nose. Jonouchi had already disappeared and was probably on his way back to Kaiba Corporation to do whatever busy work his assistants had dreamed up for him. They _should _work on his business skills for formal events, but Jonouchi would mostly likely balk at having so much of it being shoved down his throat at once.

Kaiba just wanted to escape from it all. He could feel himself becoming more and more anxious and drained as he stood there, ignoring what the other two men were discussing as they went through the update reports. Everything had gone according to plan—a rare triumph, indeed—but Kaiba couldn't let the funny feeling growing in his stomach go.

It rolled and coiled like a spring. He felt like throwing up.

Eventually, though, the technician finished his explanation of the reimaging and had to return to his regular duties. Kaiba waved him away, having caught enough of the information from the reports Jonouchi had created the day before.

"Kaiba-sama, the Americans will be tremendously impressed. The new Solid Vision software should be more catered to the player now than ever before. There were minimal glitches."

"It's still not quite good enough," Kaiba mumbled under his breath as he turned to leave the room, "Something is always amiss."

* * *

The Americans were in the air, scheduled to arrive in Japan the following day, and the executive office of Kaiba Corporation was a war zone. A cacophony of phone rings, verbal strings of Japanese mixed with English, pinging interoffice message alerts, and general chaos had descended onto headquarters as final itineraries were confirmed and specialized reports generated. It was all-hands-in-the-trenches, and Kaiba knew he was in for another late night followed by an early morning and an even later night.

He still hadn't confirmed with Jonouchi, either. He'd been putting it off, too stressed with his long list of to-dos to want to deal with the moron's infuriating face, but they were quickly closing in on the eleventh hour. Kaiba knew that if he waited too long, Jonouchi would probably get offended by the last-minute notice (well, too late for that, Kaiba supposed) and purposely act uncooperative.

It would be yet another unfortunate circumstance where Kaiba would have to watch over Jonouchi like a hawk. He was still a wildcard when it came to business etiquette, and while Jonouchi was somewhat capable of fumbling through their own social customs, navigating foreign ones was a whole different ballgame. Thankfully, all members of the delegation spoke enough Japanese to get by (albeit with varying levels of horrendous accents), so at least Kaiba wouldn't have to worry about the idiot making an even bigger idiot out of himself on the conversation front.

KaibaCorp's American counterparts were a bit of a wildcard, themselves, truth be told. The way they conducted business was completely different from what Kaiba dealt with on a daily basis, and while Kaiba was no stranger to western tactics, it still felt rather alien. But if there was one universal similarity between business cultures, it was the shared love of parties and drinking.

There would be meetings and presentations, a tour of the grounds (corporate and theme park), and a demonstration of the new software, but Kaiba was loathe to acknowledge that the nights would invariably end in parties of varying states of sobriety. And while he may be able to escape the subsequent ones, there was no way he was getting out of the initial one.

So really, it was like the anniversary party all over again.

Hopefully this time, it wouldn't end up with any part of his or Jonouchi's bodies making any sort of contact. Kaiba's stomach flipped at the thought.

He'd keep Jonouchi at an arm's length. That would be easy enough. Although, Jonouchi would still need babysitting. Pondering that, Kaiba was unsure what exactly to do about the entire situation. Americans weren't as stringent about formalities like the Japanese were, but they could still get offended by the wrong thing, and Jonouchi had the unfortunate tendency to just open his big mouth and say whatever crap he wanted without a damn filter. Someone would have to keep an eye on him.

But if Kaiba did that, he knew he'd get worn out. They could hardly stand to be in each other's presence, and while eventually that would have to be fixed, Kaiba didn't want to do that while dealing with a handful of foreigners. He didn't want to look like he couldn't handle his own employees, but truthfully, he couldn't. Not that particular one.

Kaiba's intern would no doubt be incredibly pleased if he was paired off with Jonouchi to watch over him throughout the entire night, but that wasn't probably a foolproof idea. Nakahara was well-mannered and polite, but he'd never been tested in any kind of situation that included alcohol. Jonouchi could keep up with the best of them, and if Nakahara tried keeping up with him, it might end up disastrous.

The best possible solution would be sticking Isono with Jonouchi. That was the only kind of situation where Kaiba could control him from afar without losing his damn mind. They would still have to spend the majority of the day and night together, but at least this way, they wouldn't have to be all up close and personal about it.

That decided it. Kaiba dialed two, and his personal assistant almost immediately answered. "Yes, Seto-sama?"

"Find Jonouchi," Kaiba instructed as he propped his cell phone between his ear and his shoulder, "and prepare him for our American guests. I'm sending you an email now of all his duties during their stay. I don't care if you have to play chaperone to him, but don't let him out of your sight, and don't let him do anything to embarrass himself _or_ the company."

"Certainly." The line disconnected, and Kaiba tossed his phone haphazardly onto his desk. Rolling up his sleeves, Kaiba stretched his arms forward, popping his knuckles and yawning. He still had a mountain of work to complete before day's end, and the stress of the foreign delegation along with Jonouchi's antics was getting to him. And he still hadn't heard from his brother, but by now, that was expected. Everything seemed to compress with each passing day, and Kaiba could feel the tension mounting all across his body.

Shit, he just really needed a good fuck.

He tried concentrating back on the task at hand. Hopefully, Jonouchi wouldn't give Isono a hard time. If that semi-docile thing he was doing was still going on, then Isono would probably be met with very little resistance. Jonouchi was probably just happy that Kaiba himself wasn't calling him in to discuss the Americans, and that ticked Kaiba off a little. He was probably getting on famously with everyone in his damn staff except for the damn CEO...

There was nothing to be done about it, now.

The Americans were coming. They were going to have the best rooms at the Kaiba Hotel during their stay, and Kaiba planned on taking them to one of the company-owned restaurants in the city and hiring entertainment just for the party to ensure its success. He had even planned on hiring a few geiko from Gion just for the event, since he'd heard that the Americans had a particular fascination with the whole tradition of female entertainers.

It had to be a success. This was the first overseas park Kaiba created, but it wasn't the only foreign expansion he had planned. He wanted another one built in New York City, to attract the American east coast to his parks. Having another park built in Florida would also be good, to compete against the giant Disney theme parks, and then there was the plan for multiple parks in Europe, first Paris, and then maybe if everything happened perfectly, Dubai.

There would be a Kaiba Land in every continent by the time he was done. His dream would come true, and hopefully Mokuba would return to him before then to see it completed. Kaiba didn't want to even consider finishing his lifelong project alone. It was too depressing a thought.

There would be plenty to think about before he'd be done with the day. Kaiba knew he'd be getting absolutely no sleep that night at all.


	13. Chapter 13

Kaiba stared at his agenda for the day and frowned. He had already made it through the multiple rounds of presentations and tours, as well as a rather excruciating business lunch with the Americans and several other regional promoters, but the next thing on his list was where his nightmare really began.

Business formalities and the like he could deal with—he'd been CEO for the past five years, after all, and he'd had six years of training from his adoptive father. But Kaiba was sure the next event and all the following ones could lead to his undoing.

Isono had called him the previous night to confirm Jonouchi's participation with the American delegation. The man had seemed somewhat reserved on the phone, as though he had been hiding something, and Kaiba had been nowhere near the mood to play.

"Out with it, Isono, it seems like you have something you want to say."

There had been a beat of hesitancy before his personal assistant had cleared his throat and spoke, "There seems to be some discord between you and Jonouchi-sama."

Kaiba had experienced a strong urge to smack his head against the wall then. "It's of no concern. He's just being his usual stupid self."

Another beat of silence. "Kaiba-sama, if I may…?"

"What is it?"

The voice had become clearer. "Perhaps it would be—_prudent_—to allow some distance."

It had been Kaiba's turn for silence. "I know." An intake of breath. "That's what you're there for."

"Certainly, Kaiba-sama."

And while it was true that Isono would be the one to mainly interact with Jonouchi during the day, Kaiba still felt uneasy about including him in his plans, especially since nothing had been resolved between them. Kaiba didn't particularly feel like talking about it, and Jonouchi had kept bringing it up during inconvenient times—little daggers thrown in the small pockets of time when he wasn't avoiding Kaiba completely.

The technology demonstration was next on the itinerary. Isono had called him before his lunch meeting to report that Jonouchi had arrived at the Dueling Arena and was doing a final run-through with the tech team. Kaiba was torn—while he was relieved that the idiot had actually shown up (meaning he wouldn't have to put on the dog and pony show for the Americans), at the same time, Kaiba did _not_ desire to be anywhere near the fool.

It was bad enough that he had a hard time trusting Jonouchi with his company, and that was only half because of personal reasons. But it was even worse that Kaiba couldn't trust himself.

At least lately.

By the time everyone had made it down to the entrance of headquarters, Eguchi had already pulled around several golf carts. Piling carefully in, the Americans talked excitedly amongst themselves while Kaiba sat back and watched. He could feel his reserve of social energy already beginning to wane, and he found himself dreading the impending evening festivities. Normally, he excelled at—though didn't particularly enjoy—situations like these. He could be a showman. He knew how to sell an audience and seduce skeptics. But right now, Kaiba just felt tired and entirely not like himself.

He tried not to let that show, though. Thankfully with such a dedicated staff, he didn't have to try too hard. Isono effortlessly lead the group into the bowels of Kaiba Land, showcasing all the hidden beta equipment that wasn't approved for the public yet. Not only were there new concept games for the theme park, but there was a new Duel Disk being designed and programmed still in the lab. Kaiba wasn't going to worry himself with it, since he hadn't imposed a deadline on it quite yet.

Ultimately, it was his own personal blueprints that were leading the creation of the new Duel Disk, but there wasn't the time yet to dedicate himself to it. Kaiba unfortunately had to place it on the back-burner; getting plans for his California park settled and ready was much more important, still. They couldn't be kept away in the dark, since the United States had more competition when it came to theme park entertainment.

When they came upon the new Dueling Arenas, one of the Americans scoffed—a technician turned to his cohort and said in English, "I don't understand why we still have these when Duel Disks are more efficient."

Kaiba tsked, shaking his head. "That may be true, but Duel Disks don't yet have all the capabilities that my Dueling Arenas do," he explained in English, "And while one day I could upgrade them into having the entire Duel Network's registry for the professional dueling bracket available for personal use, that wouldn't be advisable. It's important that people still go to the Kaiba Land parks, and I don't see Dueling Arenas ever being phased out completely."

That was never his intention. Trumping Pegasus's technology had been extremely exhilarating at the time, but there were still some instances in dueling where the arenas were more efficient than Duel Disks.

Not everyone could afford Duel Disks, either.

"There's a huge market for gaming arenas across Japan and the United States," continued Kaiba, "and I'm not going to let Industrial Illusions steal it right from under me, when they haven't even redesigned their systems from the original in the last five years. Most dueling competitions, after all, are still done in arenas."

He spoke in clear English, which the delegates appeared taken aback by. Kaiba had known it since he was a child; he lacked a heavy accent. Unlike his old high school classmates who fumbled through classes without a clear understanding of the confusing grammar or conversational skills, Kaiba had been fluent since he was ten years old.

"You do have a point, Kaiba-sama," replied the man who had made the comment, "I thought you'd want to phase out the arenas for being so..."

"-Cumbersome?" Kaiba snorted, trying not to laugh at the man for being so presumptuous, "It forces people to come to the parks if they want to play the game with the Solid Vision holograms. And while the Duel Disk might have market appeal because anyone can compete wherever they are, there always needs to be a reason for players to come to Kaiba Land parks instead of just playing at home."

Everyone seemed satisfied with that answer.

"And now," Kaiba announced, "I'd like to present the new system updates with the participation of Kaiba Corporation's sponsored professional Duelist, Jonouchi Katsuya."

Jonouchi appeared after that, looking as bright-eyed as ever. Apparently Isono had prepared him well, because he was dressed in the new clothes Kaiba had given him, and he had enough manners to shake the hand of every single man and woman he was directed to without making a fuss. His hair was even cleaned up, and that in and of itself was rather impressive. Someone had made sure to make Jonouchi look sharp. Kaiba wasn't sure if he should thank that person or fire them...

After pleasantries were exchanged, Jonouchi went over to the arena and started the demonstration. He started up the Duel, picking a game against a computer version of Mutou Yugi set at professional mode. Everyone seemed rather dubious that he could win, but Kaiba knew better. Jonouchi had been practicing, and after a long, drawn-out battle with the AI which nearly led Jonouchi to run out of cards, he did manage to win.

Everyone clapped enthusiastically, the Americans chattering excitedly amongst themselves. Although Yugi was Japanese, everyone around the world knew about his dueling abilities. Jonouchi, while not quite as popular, was nearly as great. Even Kaiba could see that, now.

"That was impressive!" exclaimed , the Chief of Operations of the American branch, a tall, bald man with a sharp face and even sharper suit. He looked young despite the lack of hair on his head, and Kaiba wondered fleetingly if it was a hair trend the man was trying to make work, or if he was unfortunate enough to be balding before forty.

"Jonouchi Katsuya took third place at my last international competition," explained Kaiba neutrally. He didn't look Jonouchi's way, despite speaking about him, "He's only ranked behind myself and Mutou Yugi."

"I don't plan on staying behind them forever," added Jonouchi as he appeared to be fighting back a smirk, "Next tournament Kaiba-sama and Mutou-san compete in, I'm taking them on. Even if one of the guys is my boss."

Everyone laughed except Kaiba. He just gave one of his fake smiles, one that was nearly undetectable except to Jonouchi, who had known him long enough to figure out when he was faking it.

"How admirable of you," continued Mr. Wright, "and clearly you are very talented. I never thought a Duel against an AI would be so exciting."

"I like to keep things interesting; it makes work that much more fun," Jonouchi replied.

Kaiba wondered if Jonouchi followed that little matra in everything he did, but he knew better than to ask. He turned away from the group and rolled his eyes instead, feeling Isono's eyes on his back before deciding to move the party onward to other things.

"Now that our show is over, let's take a little walk throughout the park so you all can see the mothership, so to speak. I'm sure most of you have never seen the original Kaiba Land theme park. This will be eye-opening, I hope, for many of you."

Kaiba had given them a full tour of the park, despite the fact that there were people all over. Children frequently ran through the group, although a few stopped and stared when faced by the Americans. Most of them had probably never seen foreigners outside of on television, and they pointed at the group before their mothers scolded them for being rude.

The Americans didn't seem bothered by the attention, though. The group was made up of eight people: five men and three women. They all had central positions within the Kaiba Corporation United States branch, and although ultimately they worked for Kaiba, it was still important that they got a good impression of their boss, so to speak.

There was the Director of Operations, Mr. Wright, who seemed charmed by everything and easy-going. He stuck to Jonouchi and Isono, talking to them both as they pointed out different sites throughout the park. Among his staff was also the Marketing Director, a Mrs. Chan who appeared to be Chinese-American. The Facilities Manager hardly ever spoke; he was a rather unsightly dark-haired, short man Kaiba couldn't exactly figure out, while the Health and Safety Engineer appeared to be of Mexican descent from the sound of her appearance and last name, Ms. Ortega. There were also three technicians, all caucasian, and lastly Mokuba's personal assistant, a Ms. Farwell, who appeared to be getting the most attention from the mobs of children because of her dark skin and even darker hair. Thankfully, she seemed rather understanding of the fact that they had never seen a black person before, and Kaiba felt some relief knowing that his American guests were more likely to be amused than offended by the ridiculous amounts of attention they were attracting.

Outside of Mr. Wright, all of the members of the delegation had been new faces to Kaiba. They were a peculiar group, but Wright seemed confident in his team's capabilities, and that was all that really mattered to Kaiba.

After the tour, the group had split apart so that the Americans could test the rides and attractions and informally interview some of the staff currently on the clock. Kaiba thought they looked funny with their clipboards and audio recorders, but he supposed it was better to have employees who appreciated the value of research. He hung back towards the entrance, electing to wait them out by the golf carts than to deal with the hoards of park-goers. A little solitude in the middle of a chaotic day would be a lifesaver.

Kaiba had pulled out his cell phone and had started to fiddle with it when a large shadow cast across his vision.

"Oh, I guess we had the same idea."

Fuck, was he really _that_ unlucky?

Jonouchi hovered warily by the front of the golf cart, his gaze flickering back to the park. He looked like a bird unsure of whether it wanted to take off or hang onto its branch. Kaiba ignored him all the same, not wanting to risk a snag in an already very long day. He heard a heavy sigh to his right, and then the cart swayed under Jonouchi's weight as he clambered into the backseat.

"You look nice today, Kaiba-_sama_."

Kaiba rolled his eyes but kept his sight fixed on his phone screen. "Is commenting about my appearance akin to talking about the weather now?"

"No," answered Jonouchi with a hint of amusement, "were you hoping it to be? I don't pay that much attention to your clothes, you know..."

"Well then I guess today you've demonstrated a new skill set," Kaiba snorted. He inwardly grimaced. Where the hell was Isono, and why the hell wasn't he watching the moron?

Jonouchi laughed in response. Kaiba could see him out of his peripheral vision: Jonouchi was slouched in his seat with an arm tossed across the top of the seatbacks. The proximity made his back itch, the prickling sensation crawling down his spine and across his shoulder blades.

He chose silence. Kaiba could give cold shoulder with the best of them, and he was determined not to allow Jonouchi to get under his skin. They were halfway through the day, and after a brief break to allow the Americans to rest and freshen up, all that was left was the evening hospitality and entertainment. And then Kaiba could go home, pass the fuck out, and start all over in the morning.

The golf cart began to jostle lightly as Jonouchi bobbed a knee in boredom. Kaiba merely rolled his eyes again—as if _that _was enough to break his determination. The fidgeting stopped after a few minutes, and everything was calm and peaceful again until a shadow loomed a second time over Kaiba's screen, and the tingling in his back increased sharply.

A tanned hand darted out and plucked his cell phone from his grasp. Kaiba blinked in indignation before he turned around in his seat, almost snarling. And then he was suddenly _too _close to Jonouchi, their noses almost smacking from Kaiba's abrupt movement.

Kaiba immediately pulled away, and Jonouchi seemed to note the reaction as he also moved back to his side of the cart, looking through Kaiba's phone without delay.

"This thing is nice," he remarked as his finger glided across the screen, "Probably costs more than what I make in a month."

"Give it back, Jonouchi. Now."

"Relax, I'm not going to break it. Maybe now that you're taking care of my salary, I could buy something nice like this, you know? Gotta keep that image up—you wouldn't want people to think Kaiba Corporation wasn't paying a living wage."

Kaiba rolled his eyes. He turned away and just sulked for the moment being, but he couldn't shake off the feeling of violation as Jonouchi continued to fiddle around with his cell phone. Thankfully, there wasn't anything personal on it. Paranoid, Kaiba was always prepared for the time he'd end up misplacing it, and he didn't want anything incriminating there for anyone to find.

"So, where do you hide your porn on this thing?" blurted Jonouchi, "I know you must have it somewhere in here."

That was enough. Kaiba quickly reached over and snatched the thing back as Jonouchi laughed loudly, and he had to lean into him, brushing his shoulder to do so. It made his elbow tingle for a moment, and Kaiba tried hard to ignore the feeling.

"Don't do that again," snapped Kaiba as he placed his phone away, "Are you incapable of showing respect?"

"My parents knew better than to bother trying to teach me."

"A lost cause at an early age. I'm not surprised," Kaiba sniped. He looked at his watch. It was still another twenty minutes before the Americans would return. Kaiba almost groaned—he was supposed to have been recharging—_alone_—not dwindling the remaining energy and patience he had left on the last person he wanted to talk to. He shot Jonouchi a glare out of the corner of his eye, "Don't you know it's unwise to slack off right in front of your boss?"

Jonouchi had the nerve to smirk. "And how am I slacking off?"

"Ditching our special guests ring a bell? I hope you didn't abandon them to the other tourists. I do need them back, you know."

"I didn't abandon them, Kaiba," said Jonouchi as he rolled his eyes dramatically, "they left me. Said I could take a break if I wanted, because they wanted to see some stuff without me lurking behind. I don't mind sitting back here with you... Am I making you uncomfortable or something?"

"So instead you're lurking behind me. Aren't I the lucky one," Kaiba replied flatly.

"You looked lonely."

Kaiba twisted around to stare at Jonouchi for a second, narrowing his eyes briefly before he turned to face forward again. "There's a difference between being lonely and being alone, Jonouchi."

"You looked _lonely_," Jonouchi stressed as he repeated himself, "Sometimes I wonder if you enjoy making yourself look miserable. It wouldn't kill you to try smiling more. You might even fool yourself into enjoying life for once."

Kaiba folded his hands in his lap and was very still. He watched the pedestrians mill by. A jogger. A husband and wife with their small child between them. A group of middle schoolers. An old man. "And what concern is it to you, Jonouchi?"

"Unlike you, I actually care about people, you know? Even if you dislike me, and I don't really like you either, I still don't enjoy seeing you miserable every day..."

"And yet you insist upon bothering me with your inane blabbering." Kaiba closed his eyes and slid down his seat until his head was cradled against the edge of the seatback. He didn't have much energy left.

"You're smart. Maybe one day it'll start to sink in a little."

"Hmm," Kaiba replied noncommittally. He felt sleepy. The late summer heat was still persistent, and his black suit was absorbing it all.

"Oh come on," Jonouchi nudged, not allowing Kaiba to completely shut him out. "Admit it. On your best days, you like me just a little bit."

Kaiba sighed, shifting his feet. He was too tall to slouch comfortably. "Would you cry sexual harassment if I admitted it?"

"I'm pretty sure it's too late for that now." Jonouchi rolled his eyes and moved back to the opposite side of the golf cart before sighing loudly and staring off towards the park rides, "I'll admit, it's a bit unsettling, but I'm sure you don't like the fact that you like me, so I can't exactly get mad at you for it."

"I'm not sure I follow that line of logic…" Kaiba began. He opened his eyes lazily and stared back out onto the streets. "Whether or not I am receptive to that prospect should have no bearing on your feelings."

"Says the guy who likes to pretend he has no feelings," Jonouchi muttered.

Kaiba fell silent. It wasn't pretend. It hadn't been a choice, either. It just simply was—a means of survival. He'd gotten used to it. "Yes, to the guy who has too many feelings. Logic, Jonouchi. It would benefit you to have more of it." Kaiba didn't even know why he was entertaining this conversation. He was just too tired and warm to move away.

"Some things can't be reasoned away with logic, Kaiba. I know that probably sounds ridiculous to you, but people feel how they feel, and that's all there is to it. I can't get mad that I'm so hot, you can't keep your tongue out from down my throat, right?" Jonouchi teased. "Although I'd prefer it if you didn't trap me in your car like that again."

Letting out a derisive snort of laughter, Kaiba sat up and turned around, appraising Jonouchi. The other had an easy expression on his face, and Kaiba wasn't sure what to make of that, especially given Jonouchi's behavior over the past two weeks—hell, since even the day before. "Oh? So you would prefer it another way? After all, you yourself said you can't get mad," Kaiba said somewhat sarcastically.

"I didn't say I enjoyed the attention, asshole," answered Jonouchi with a bit of bite, "I just realized that I shouldn't allow you to upset me anymore. You've been hurting me for years now, on purpose most of the time, and I know better than to let you get to me like that. So, I should just let it all roll off my shoulders." Jonouchi grinned that dumb grin of his before moving a bit closer to where Kaiba was sitting, leaning over close to Kaiba's right shoulder, "As long as you keep your hands off of me, we're good."

Kaiba could feel the breath of Jonouchi's words and beat back the urge to inch away. He crossed his arms and turned his face to the side. "Looks like I'm the one who should worry, seeing how you like to get up in my personal space."

"I get in _everyone's_ personal space. You're the only one who takes it personally, wise guy."

Scoffing, Kaiba checked his watch again. The Americans should be returning any minute now. "Then maybe you should consider fixing that. It's like you're not even Japanese." If there was one thing Kaiba appreciated about his heritage (well, half of it), it was the Japanese penchant for boundaries.

"Blame my father. He never cared about that shit, and neither do I."

But Jonouchi did back away, surprisingly. His attention seemed distracted by something else, and it was the large shadow of Isono reappearing with all the guests, looking quite put-out by Jonouchi's unexpected presence. Clearly the poor Isono had been played, and Jonouchi just beamed at him before moving out of the golf cart and back into the one he'd been riding in before.

Kaiba found himself feeling somewhat impressed by Jonouchi's evasive tactics. He'd managed to lose Kaiba's personal assistant, who also happened to be his highest-trained member of security. Perhaps it was a remnant from his hoodlum days—running from the cops had to have taken some measure of skill. He smiled wryly before turning his attention to Isono. "Where is everyone?"

"Souvenir photos," Isono answered. "They are waiting for theirs to be developed. I will collect them in a moment; I wanted to check on Jonouchi-sama." Isono then approached Jonouchi, who gave him a weak smile. "I see that you have made your way back without incident."

"I am an adult, you know."

"As you say, Jonouchi-sama." Isono gave a short bow and disappeared back inside the park.

"I wish he wouldn't call me that," Jonouchi mumbled under his breath.

"That would make two of us," Kaiba agreed lightly, "It's an ingrained habit of his that I haven't been able to break yet." It had always been "-sama"—from the very first day that he had stepped foot into Kaiba Mansion. Kaiba couldn't recall a time when the man had used any other honorific, except when talking to other members of the staff. It was always "-san," then—never any terms of endearment. He was a professional, through and through.

"Tell him to stop, then he'll listen to you."

"I wonder." While Isono obeyed every command to the letter, he was surprisingly strong-willed regarding some things. Kaiba suspected this would be one of those things.

The Americans announced their return with a noticeable increase of volume, the noise growing louder as they turned the corner after exiting the gates. They all were smiling widely and talking animatedly, and Kaiba sat up a little straighter in his seat, crossing his legs and making his long body more compact. They offered greetings as they piled back onto the golf carts, and Kaiba gave a terse smile in return. Jonouchi immediately sprang back to life, feeding off their enthusiasm. Kaiba averted his gaze, suddenly and irrationally irritated. He remained quiet on the return trip to headquarters, as aloof as he could manage while still feigning politeness.

And when his guests had boarded the shuttle back to Kaiba Hotel—Jonouchi included—Kaiba watched as the shuttle departed and took a deep breath.

The night was just beginning.

He couldn't feel his legs. Kaiba had sat seiza for the entirety of the tea ceremony, and his ankles were beginning to cramp. Normally, he could hold the posture for hours, but after a day full of walking and stress, his body refused to cooperate with his childhood training. The Americans had valiantly attempted to maintain the formality for the ceremony, but they had all eventually shifted out of it as the night went on, some ending up cross-legged on the floor pillows while others had simply slid their legs sideways. Kaiba noted with curiosity that the only other person still sitting properly besides himself was Jonouchi. He had anticipated that the other, whose existence was a ball of nervous energy, would have abandoned the pose shortly after being seated. Where and how Jonouchi had acquired the skill was a mystery.

The group had been divided into two: five in a row along opposing walls of the chashitsu. Not many people knew the existence of Kaiba Hotel's tea room—it was hidden in a corner of the venue by the outdoor gardens, used exclusively for business ventures. They were seated according to hierarchy, Kaiba at the head of one row with Mr. Wright to his left, Jonouchi heading the opposing row, with the rest positioned in-between. While Kaiba was relieved that he didn't have to sit within Jonouchi's proximity and endure his presence up close, he was at the same time annoyed that he'd been forced into staring at Jonouchi's stupid face for the duration of the night.

One that would be full of drinking.

Not that Kaiba would be doing much of it. The rest of the party could have as much alcohol as they wanted, as far as he was concerned, but Kaiba wasn't about to get sloshed in front of a group of foreigners. He was still the CEO of a multibillion-yen corporation, and he had a reputation to maintain.

Their trays had been cleared away and replaced with soup and an array of sushi acquired fresh that morning from the Tsukiji Market. The Americans' trip was proving to be quite the costly expense for Kaiba, but first impressions were everything in the business world. A little wining and dining was a small price to pay for ensuring the enthusiasm and loyalty of his foreign team. The success of Kaiba Land California—and by extension, the success of Kaiba Land's western expansion—rested largely with the eight foreign employees within the room.

First impressions.

Kaiba chatted politely with Mr. Wright during the meal, turning a wary eye on Jonouchi every once in a while. So far, the idiot was behaving himself—even demonstrating decent table manners—but Kaiba knew that good behavior could quickly deteriorate with each successive refill of Jonouchi's sake cup. It was probably a good thing that Isono was sitting unobtrusively in the corner closest to him, despite Jonouchi's cry that he didn't need a babysitter.

The sun was beginning to set, the long days of summer slowly shortening as the season eased into fall. Two attendants came in to clear their trays again, sliding the shouji of one wall open to let in the cool evening breeze before setting lanterns around the room and exiting silently through the sadouguchi. The room glowed, softly golden, and Kaiba finally allowed himself to shift into a more comfortable seating position, folding his legs in front of him. He idly raked his fingertips across the rough tatami, wishing he could stretch out and fall asleep as he did when he was a child, before Gozaburo, when the tatami smelled of natsumikan peels in the summer and naps were taken in winter under the kotatsu his mother had insisted upon buying.

But he had guests to entertain. The clear chiming of bells announced the entrance of the night's performers, who entered one after the other and bowed low to the floor. Two maiko took to the center of the room, hiding their painted faces behind their ornate kanzashi as they crouched in position, while two geiko settled down at the head of the room. With the beat of a taiko and the loud reverb of a shamisen, the maiko rose elegantly, the long sleeves of their kimono fluttering as they unfurled their fans. They twisted and turned to the low alto of the geiko's singing, floating across the room in precise, sweeping motions.

Kaiba sipped his sake quietly as his gaze flitted around—his guests were watching in rapt attention, their faces smiling in awe. Even Jonouchi had stilled, his eyes trailing the dancing maiko, and Kaiba hid a smirk at the other's stupid expression behind his cup.

The maiko wove around each other, spinning their fans slowly, the tails of their long obi whispering against the other as they crossed. Kaiba soon zoned out from the dimness of the room and the steady voice of the geiko, and before he knew it, the maiko had regrouped, their fans closed on the ground in front of them. The music stopped as they touched their fingertips together and bowed deeply on the floor, and the trance was broken. The group erupted into applause, small smiles gracing the maikos' faces as the geiko looked on with pride.

Three sharp plucks of the shamisen signaled a new dance, and Kaiba watched lazily, this time resisting more sake. It wasn't that he wasn't interested—the artists he had hired were some of the best in the business, originating from one of Gion Koubu's most distinguished and historic okiya—but exhaustion was setting in, and Kaiba relished not being the source of entertainment for once.

One last dance with parasols was performed, and then the geiko had gotten up to introduce themselves properly. The maiko had bowed sweetly, and Kaiba could have sworn he saw a blush bloom across Jonouchi's face, but he couldn't be certain from the low lighting of the room.

The geiko and maiko split up around the room, quickly taking over beverage service and engaging their guests in easy, amiable conversation. The four women were devastatingly witty, and soon enough, laughter filled the room as jokes were told and games were played. Kaiba discovered that Ms. Farwell was surprisingly good at konpira fune fune (she and Ms. Ortega had squealed excitedly over the flower pin she had won from one of the maiko), while Jonouchi failed spectacularly at shiritori. He tripped up every single time it was his turn, and Kaiba would have found it funny had Jonouchi not been so embarrassingly pathetic.

"I thought you were a gamer," laughed Mr. Wright, who was much more successful at the game, "Only good with Duel Monsters then, huh?"

"Nah, I know how to play other things besides Duel Monsters. I just can't get this for some reason," replied Jonouchi as he frowned, "I'm not good with word games."

"Words in general seem not to be your forte, Jonouchi, as our high school literature classes long ago proved…" Kaiba said smoothly.

"You two were classmates, then?" asked Mr. Wright. Several of the guests turned their attention now towards Jonouchi and Kaiba, seemingly interested in what appeared to be a personal story. "How funny it must be for you, Jonouchi-san, to have a classmate for a boss now."

"'Funny' is one word for it," Jonouchi replied with a fake smile.

Thankfully, no one caught his insincerity. His smile was easy, but his eyes lied, and Kaiba could tell. He'd been around him long enough to be able to know when Jonouchi was faking an emotion.

Kaiba set his cup down and rested his chin against his hand, assessing, "Then what would _you _call it, Jonouchi?"

"Ironic."

He turned his gaze and smiled at Kaiba this time, although he wasn't faking it. No, his smile was more like a smirk, and Kaiba frowned a little when he realized that Jonouchi was being smart with him. Maybe all the alcohol was making him more ballsy than usual.

"And I suppose I'd say it was...inevitable." Kaiba's gaze was sharp as it flickered to Jonouchi, his own smirk tugging at the edge of his mouth.

This time Jonouchi frowned. He seemed unable to say anything witty in response (or maybe he was just holding back to keep from saying the_ wrong_ thing, Kaiba didn't know). Instead of answering, he just turned his attention away from Kaiba and sipped on his sake instead. Isono sat in the back corner, silently shaking his head.

Apparently he didn't approve of the backhanded hostility between them, but Kaiba didn't care. He felt numb to the entire situation as the chatter began to pick up again.

Mr. Wright clearly picked up on the tension and began talking to Ms. Chan and one of the geiko instead. He apparently had enough social graces not to continue a topic that was uncomfortable for the party, and Kaiba wondered briefly how that reflected on him before brushing the thought out of his mind. As if anyone would remember it later.

The party had broken out into little clusters, the maiko and geiko hopping from one to the other to keep up the lively atmosphere. Kaiba chose to remain where he was, and eventually two of the technicians crowded around him to talk shop. It was a bit of a relief to mindlessly talk about science and engineering, where Kaiba didn't have to care about navigating social confines or trading veiled barbs with Jonouchi. The three of them had been surprised when the younger of the geiko joined their group, effortlessly finding her way into the conversation. She had been a physics student before she had dropped out to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a geiko, but she had kept up with her former life (and was a secret fan of Duel Monsters, to boot), and Kaiba was impressed.

They were deep in conversation when the odd plucking of a shamisen derailed one of the techs mid-sentence. Everyone turned towards the origin of the sound, which was none other than Jonouchi. Kaiba immediately felt his high spirits sink—what was the idiot up to now?

Jonouchi's face was completely flushed, and he was holding the instrument awkwardly while the maiko next to him attempted to mime instructions while holding back her laughter. Jonouchi, for his part, was utterly confused, and he strummed the shamisen randomly, playing a bizarre tune.

Laughing, the maiko took the instrument back, showing Jonouchi how to correctly play as she sang a short song.

"_When I pour sake for the man I love, even before he drinks up, I blush like a cherry blossom._"

She reached out and pinched at Jonouchi's cheek flirtatiously, causing the other to burn a deeper red as he reached back for the shamisen. He plucked out a few more awkward notes as she began to sing again, her voice peppered with laughter:

"_When it's the man I love, he goes by and doesn't come in, but men I hate—a hundred times a day_!"

Jonouchi looked across the room then and smirked widely at Kaiba as he picked at the strings. He mimicked her song in a rather horrendously warbling voice that his companions found hilarious, but Kaiba looked away, seething. He downed his cup of sake rather heatedly, knocking it back down onto his tray with more force than necessary. It earned him a few curious stares, but Kaiba picked up the conversation from where it had been disturbed, determined to ignore Jonouchi for the rest of the night, and the others quickly fell back into their earlier conversation.

Only the geiko didn't ignore Jonouchi, who apparently was the most amusing person in the room. Not only did the maiko continue singing with him and trying to teach him how to play her instrument properly, but the other geiko frequently came over, laughing between pouring drinks. Kaiba noticed that Mr. Wright's attention was lost: he was completely charmed and no longer paying his companions any mind as the maiko started teaching them more drinking songs before Jonouchi's shrill laughter cut through the room.

Kaiba subtly chanced a glance at his watch. Thankfully, the night was almost over—the maiko and geiko were scheduled to leave in a half-hour, and with any luck, the party would wind down, the Americans would head up to their rooms, and Kaiba could finally go home. He was slightly irritated that he couldn't stay at his own hotel, but his refusal was merely on principle—his penthouse suite was always available for him, but he knew he wouldn't be able to relax while occupying the same space as his guests. It was purely a mental thing, but Kaiba needed the separation. Fortunately, Isono was there to drive him home, so Kaiba wouldn't have to worry about staying cognizant much longer.

Excusing himself under the guise of checking in with his hotel staff, Kaiba left the room and aimlessly walked the hallways but found that removing himself only had the opposite of its intended effect. His blood boiled increasingly with each quickened step. He was _angry_, but he couldn't really pin why that was, and everything kept flashing back to Jonouchi's obnoxious, drunken face. The way everyone had gathered around him. The way he had shyly smiled at the maiko. How Jonouchi had become some kind of sparkling beacon, while Kaiba had practically glowered in the corner.

Once he had made a full circuit around the first floor, Kaiba took a moment to calm his breathing as he returned to the chashitsu. Isono stood and approached him, and Kaiba went about the formalities of thanking the performers and bidding his guests goodnight. He ignored Jonouchi completely, who was laughing about something with Mokuba's personal assistant. Narrowing his eyes, Kaiba turned to walk away before she suddenly appeared by his side.

"Kaiba-sama, I wanted to catch you before you retired for the night. I won't be able to stay for the entire trip; I got a call earlier requesting that I return to California. My apologies, but I'll be sure to send your regards to Mokuba-sama."

Kaiba's eyes widened fractionally before he corrected himself. "Of course." And without another word, he nodded to Isono and left.

It was a silent ride home. Isono drove the car expertly, and Kaiba sat in the back, hiding in the darkness of the shadows as he looked over his cell phone and continued to fume before tossing it away from him.

Mokuba wouldn't answer his calls again. He sent his own damn personal assistant to see Kaiba, but the little brat couldn't bother to answer a damn phone call. It was starting to become ridiculous, the amount of effort Mokuba was putting into shunning his own brother. Kaiba had half a mind to go after him, but that was probably what he wanted. The attention. And Kaiba wasn't going to give him that.

Flying over to California would take longer than ten hours. No doubt, Mokuba would get a kick out of it, and Kaiba had more important things to deal with than the tantrum of a sixteen-year-old.

Then there was Jonouchi, who had made a fool of himself during the party. The Americans apparently didn't seem to mind it at all. They all seemed absolutely delighted by him, and that made Kaiba's frustrations even greater. He couldn't win. Jonouchi had probably left a more lasting impression on them than Kaiba had, after all the hard work he'd done to make the evening a success, because Jonouchi wouldn't leave the damn maiko alone.

And his god-awful singing...

If Kaiba was honest with himself, it wasn't that surprising. Men always got stupid drunk at business parties, and the geiko were used to that. They probably loved the attention, since Jonouchi wasn't some sixty-year-old man with a wife and kids at home gawking at them, but still. It burned Kaiba regardless that he couldn't control this one employee, no matter what he tried to do.

Anyone else, and Kaiba would not have cared. He knew that, too, and it made his frustrations grow as he tried thinking about something else as the car continued to drive through the city.

When he closed his eyes, he at least felt more settled. The lights of the street lamps and intersection lights flashed under his eyelids, and Kaiba knew if he wasn't so heated up from the night, he probably would have been able to sleep in the car. It would have been nice.

The evening, by all accounts, had been a success. The American entourage would be staying for the entire week, but Kaiba wouldn't have to entertain them any longer himself. He'd see them a few more times, briefly, but the Americans would probably be sending the rest of their time as tourists instead of business associates. They were taking a trip to Tokyo, and Kaiba knew he'd be seeing them off on their flight back to Los Angeles, and that would be it.

Arriving home without incident, Kaiba tersely dismissed Isono and escaped to his room. He locked the door even though it wasn't necessary, just needing to block out the rest of the world. He tugged at his clothes vehemently, strewing them across the floor as they were shed. At that point, Kaiba couldn't even care less—he'd just have them sent to be dry cleaned, anyway, so what were a few wrinkles?

Crawling into the cool sheets of his bed, Kaiba threw the cover over his head and burrowed underneath, trying to fall asleep. His mind was still racing, though, and he could still feel the agitation from his day coursing through his veins. No matter what position he flipped to, Kaiba couldn't still his thoughts, although his body was exhausted.

Flopping onto his back, Kaiba stared at the ceiling in resignation. He needed to do something to calm the fuck down so that he could get to sleep. Calling into work the next morning after a night of partying would set a bad example for his staff. Kaiba glanced at the clock on his nightstand—it was too late to take a sleeping pill; he'd end up oversleeping—yet another bad example. He also didn't want to spend the next hour drinking himself to sleep—the sloshing in his stomach upon waking was not a wholly desirable prospect.

But his brain was still going a mile a minute, and solving complex math problems only further stimulated it.

Fuck it all. Kaiba felt a little like a teenager for his solution, but maybe letting off a little steam wouldn't be a bad thing. He rolled over and opened the drawer to his nightstand, blindly scattering a number of condoms and lube bottles across its surface. Reaching under to tug his boxer-briefs down his hips, Kaiba felt his face flush before he balled the garment up and chucked it over the side of his bed.

This was ridiculous.

He closed his eyes and attempted to blank out his mind, concentrating on the feeling. His hands were cold, and he felt strangely watched, even though Kaiba knew he was alone in the room. After a few minutes, he reached out and groped around for a condom, ripping it open before tossing the wrapper over the side as well and slipping it on. It was a peculiar practice without a partner, and Kaiba felt a little silly about it, but he really didn't care for the mess. Settling back down, he threw an arm over his eyes, attempting to block out the faint moonlight streaming through the curtains, and exhaled deeply.

Kaiba didn't know what to think about. He wasn't one to dwell on the past, so former lovers were out of the question, and porn never quite appealed to him, either. So once again, he tried to clear his mind and fall into oblivion.

It worked for a while. Kaiba could feel his body naturally responding, his groin growing hotter as his hand picked up pace. He felt a little miserable at having to do this by himself—it was much better with a partner, but it had been so long since Kaiba had felt the touch of another person.

Until Jonouchi.

Kaiba's eyes snapped open at the thought, his hand stilling in place. Now was _not_ the time to be thinking about that idiot, especially since he was the one that had gotten Kaiba so pissed off in the first place. Rolling onto his side and away from the window, Kaiba shut his eyes tightly and continued, reaching down with his other hand to intensify his own pleasure. He found himself not really enjoying it all that much despite the physical stimulation, and he just wanted it over already so that he could fall asleep.

Letting his mind drift, Kaiba lost himself in the mechanics, going through the motions without giving his actions too much thought. It wasn't even that great; Kaiba didn't feel that aroused, and his restless mind didn't help him relax either. He constantly felt himself tense up, and it did nothing at all as he tried keeping himself stimulated despite his body being uncooperative.

Becoming frustrated, he let out a growl before sighing loudly. It wasn't working. Usually he could just jerk off without a problem, but there was a mental block getting to him, and he didn't know why. Usually it wasn't so hard to just get a quick orgasm and finally feel relaxed enough to sleep.

Tensing up again despite all efforts, Kaiba moved until his body was up against one of the large pillows that lay across his bed. Too tired to think over it, he pushed it down under the covers and onto his groin, allowing the silk to rub comfortably against him. If he hadn't had a condom on, the feeling would have been greater, but he didn't want to risk spoiling his sheets and waking up to a mess.

Although he wasn't getting any closer to that happening, just yet.

He pushed those thoughts away and just concentrated on the feeling. The motion of rocking into someone was better than just using his hands, and Kaiba tried to thinking about that instead. The first time he'd had sex with a man, it wasn't even penetration. The man had been nervous, and Kaiba had been horny. They had lain on top of each other, Kaiba sliding against him, until it came to a quick happy ending. It had been pleasant, and feeling his hips jerk a little from the memory, Kaiba tried to keep that thought in his head.

His first partner had been a woman. She had been pretty, in the traditional sense, but Kaiba had realized quickly that the female body didn't appeal to him.

His second partner, though, had been attractive. He had a nice body, with wide shoulders and narrow hips that were covered with lean muscles. American, his body had a nice golden tan to him, and Kaiba could see the lines on his backside when they were naked in bed. It had been an exciting thing at the time, and from then on, he knew what he wanted.

Someone young, athletic, and masculine. Darker skin, with light hair. Natural blonds, preferably. He liked dark, warm-looking eyes that invited a person in compared to his cold blue ones, and he liked being the taller. It gave him a strange sort of rise being able to look down at someone of the same sex.

He liked rough hands and soft lips. The eagerness of an enthusiastic partner and feeling almost completely overwhelmed by it all. Hard touches hardly bothered him, and feeling light-headed at the thought, Kaiba moaned as he felt himself become aroused once again, his palms damp as his head began to spin.

Skin-on-skin contact. The smell of another man's musk. Cheap hair shampoo and body spray, mixed with hard alcohol and the faint scent of cotton.

Kaiba never wore cotton.

Jerking unexpectedly, Kaiba swore before he got up, his body reaching its peak before it came down in a quick rush. It didn't even matter that he wasn't touching himself anymore; Kaiba sat back in horror as his head was filled with thoughts he didn't want and hadn't asked for, his body responding in kind.

Jonouchi's stupid smiling face was the last image that came to mind before he finally got out of bed and disposed of his used condom. Frowning, Kaiba bent over the sink and splashed his face with cold water before washing himself and getting cleaned up. He felt gross, almost, but also slightly disturbed. Wiping his face, he looked down at his hand before seeing a smear of blood.

"You have to be fucking kidding me..."

His nosebleeds had returned. Of all times to get one...

Hunching over the sink, Kaiba twisted a tissue up his nose until the bleeding had stopped. Tossing it into the trash, he stumbled back into bed, feeling even more light-headed and exhausted. Falling onto his side, Kaiba curled up and tugged the sheets high over his shoulders. He sighed deeply, disjointed images fleetingly passing over his mind as he succumbed to sleep.

The leather of a couch and the tug of a seatbelt. Surprisingly soft hair and the taste of expensive Scotch. The warmth of the body that had melted against him. All good things Kaiba told himself he didn't want...

* * *

*translations of Geisha songs by Kenneth Rexroth

Nosebleed idea from yours truly 3


	14. Chapter 14

Jonouchi hadn't been to Kaiba Corporation in at least a week. Waking up and realizing he had an appointment for that day, he tried preparing extra early. To his dismay, his father was home, sleeping on the couch, still. There were beer bottles on the coffee table as well as cigarettes and a can of chewing tobacco. Making a face, Jonouchi tip-toed across the room and went into the bathroom, praying to all the gods that the hot water would work that morning.

Thankfully, it was. Now that he had regular income, Jonouchi could pay the heat and water bills on time, as well as other utilities that before would be constantly turned on and off. His good-for-nothing father didn't care if the apartment was comfortable or not. Jonouchi could explicitly remember times when the old man would disappear for weeks because they had no heat.

Probably hiding at some crummy hotel. Cheap bastard.

If Jonouchi had any sense, he'd move out of there and leave his father to rot, but for some reason, he just couldn't. He didn't have it in him to just up and leave, and becoming frustrated with himself, Jonouchi washed his hair quickly, scrubbing his scalp uncomfortably hard before rinsing and getting out.

He toweled himself off quickly and tried dealing with his unruly hair the best he could. Since he was getting promotional work done later that morning, it didn't matter whether he had styled hair or not, since the hair crew would change it into whatever they liked. He didn't want to make things more complicated for them, so Jonouchi was careful just to comb it out before getting into a pair of boxers and wandering back into the main room, where his father continued to sleep on the couch.

Going into the tiny refrigerator, he took out leftover fish and rice and placed it into the microwave before goosebumps came up his arms. Turning around, Jonouchi found himself face-to-face with his father, who appeared to be suffering from a hangover.

"I need twenty thousand yen."

Jonouchi blinked, his eyes narrowing slightly before he caught himself and tried fixing his face.

"I don't have any, sorry."

"You're a fucking liar," spat his father, who moved closer and got up in Jonouchi's personal space before folding his arms across his chest. "I saw those new clothes. I don't care how or where you got them from, kid, but I know you got cash somewhere. Twenty thousand yen, that's all I'm asking for. I'll pay you back when I got it."

"You said that last time," replied Jonouchi neutrally, "Fifteen thousand yen, in fact, that I never got back. I can't loan you the money, Oyaji. I don't have it."

His father snorted derisively before he stabbed a finger in Jonouchi's chest. "I'm your fuckin' _father _and you keep some goddamned _tally_? You shit of a son-"

Jonouchi smacked his hand away, quickly growing irritated but still trying to maintain his cool. Riding the rollercoasters of his father's emotions was a skill he hadn't quite mastered yet, despite all the years they'd lived together. "Then don't make promises you can't or won't keep. Sorry, Pops, my answer is still no. I just paid all the utilities on this place. I just don't have the money," Jonouchi reiterated.

Shrinking back, Jonouchi's father turned away, wringing his hands and muttering to himself. "Today's th' last day ta' pay up… Morimoto's gonna have my ass. Gonna ask for more next time… And I still gotta put off Watanabe, before Tsunoda gets involved…"

"Yet you had enough yen to buy all that shit on the table," spat Jonouchi angrily, "Maybe if you had your addictions under control, you wouldn't be in this mess. You have a job, and I let you live here for free. Stop asking me for money already."

Jonouchi knew his dad was in too deep, but he was too done to care anymore about it. He'd gotten himself out of the gang. With the help of his friends, but still. His family hadn't done anything for him, and Jonouchi was tired of getting his father out of his messes only to fall back into them again. If he hadn't changed, Jonouchi knew he probably would have gotten involved in deeper shit besides high school street gangs, and he didn't like the idea of being involved with the yakuza at all.

No one liked bringing them up, but Jonouchi knew about it. He wasn't stupid. The neighborhood was full of those guys. Tattooed and scary, hiding around on street corners. People didn't talk about them, and most of the city acted like they didn't even exist, but Jonouchi knew.

"I'll give you five thousand yen, but that's it," Jonouchi offered, "I can't give up any more than that right now."

Jonouchi's dad didn't look appeased. His face grew dark and he stormed off, bursting into Jonouchi's bedroom before he could be stopped.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing!"

Chasing after him, Jonouchi tried stopping his father as the latter began throwing Jonouchi's possessions around. Clothes became scattered all over the room as the man flipped the futon over the floor and pulled the sheets off to look for stored cash.

"I'm not hiding shit in here, you idiot!" Jonouchi knew his words were hitting deaf ears; his father wouldn't stop. He was in a rage at this point.

"If you steal my money, I'm going to call the cops on you. I fucking mean it this time—I'll have you kicked out of this place-"

There was a hard, blunt impact as Jonouchi found himself falling, landing hard on his ass before groaning from the throbbing on his face. He touched his jaw. It felt tender, smarting from pain, and Jonouchi looked up as his dad continued throwing his belongings across the room, turning up nothing.

"You asshole, I told you there's nothing in this fucking room. Get out."

Scowling deeply, his father threw the mound of clothing in his hands at Jonouchi before he stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him. It bounced on its hinges, swinging back open with a loud crack. A second slamming soon followed, and Jonouchi just sat there in shock, covered with shirts and socks. Shoving the clothing off his torso, Jonouchi got up and stumbled to the front door, locking it. The spiteful part of him wished his dad left without his keys, so the bastard would be locked out until Jonouchi felt like letting him back in. Or until he broke the damn door down.

His own door sported a new crack, the gash splitting the particle wood at the top corner and extending diagonally near the knob. Luckily the wall it had smacked into had been cement instead of plaster, so at least there weren't any gouges to repair.

He wasn't hungry anymore. Although the food was likely ruined, Jonouchi wrapped it up and placed it back into the refrigerator. His father's antics had eaten up precious minutes of his morning, and if he didn't hurry, Jonouchi would be late for the shoot.

Running back into his room, Jonouchi rummaged through the clothes on the floor and threw on the first that he found that weren't too badly wrinkled. He quickly brushed his teeth and washed his face, hoping that the cool water would calm his aching jaw. Small purple dots were already beginning to sprout along his face. Sitting in the makeup chair while the makeup artists did their work would be absolute _murder_.

Shoving his feet roughly into his sneakers, Jonouchi grabbed his bag and shut the door to his room, running a hand over the new crack. It would be yet another cost his dad gifted him—there was no way around not replacing the door.

Locking the door behind him, Jonouchi sprinted off to the bus stop.

Jonouchi arrived on set mere minutes before he was scheduled to arrive. He spilled into the room, panting heavily as he chucked his bag onto a seat and scoped out the place. From the looks of it, he would be doing green screen work today: a large backdrop was set up, large spotlights blazing down on the semicircle of cameras.

Sitting down in the seat next to his bag, Jonouchi greeted his style team with a wink. "Alright, do your magic, Isa-chan."

Jonouchi frowned when the young girl gasped, the surprised expression quickly morphing into scrutinization. "Jou-kun, what have you done!" She tsked as she flitted around his seat, observing his face from all angles, her light pink pigtails swinging around.

"Aw, it's not that bad, is it? Nothing you can't fix, right?"

Isa's thin eyebrows scrunched together. "Have you even taken a look at your face, Jou-kun?" She spun him around so that he was facing the brightly-lit mirror.

Jonouchi sucked in a quick breath as he stared at it. The tiny dots had blossomed across the left side of his jaw, mottling his skin with an angry canvas of deep reds and purples. Some places—where his father's knuckles had connected, Jonouchi guessed—were so purple that they almost looked black. He leaned back disbelievingly in his chair—he hadn't thought his father had hit him all that hard.

"I don't think I can work with this…" Isa hesitated as she reached out with a brightly-polished fingernail to touch the bruise. Jonouchi hissed as soon as she made contact, recoiling in pain. "Mm yeah, sorry, Jou-kun," she said sympathetically. "Kaiba-sama!"

Oh, _fan-fucking-tastic_.

Kaiba sauntered over from where he had been conversing with the director. "What is it?"

"Take a look at him—I think we'll have to delay…" Isa began nervously, bridging the tips of her index fingers.

Kaiba's eyes widened as he took in Jonouchi's face, his expression growing dark. He reached out and roughly grabbed Jonouchi's chin, ignoring the curses tumbling from Jonouchi's mouth, and turned his face from side to side.

"Ow, what the fuck! Leggo-" Jonouchi cried as he slapped Kaiba's hand away. It fucking _hurt_, and the last thing Jonouchi needed was Kaiba's fingers digging into the newly-formed bruise. He scowled up at Kaiba, leaning far back in his seat.

"Did your clumsy ass eat concrete, or have you reverted back to high school habits?" Kaiba asked, irritation clearly written across his face.

"Fuck off, already—it's not like I asked for this."

"And yet here you are, throwing a wrench into my plans. When I hired you, Jonouchi, I expected you to leave behind all that mechanical crap," Kaiba spat.

Isa's eyes shifted nervously from Jonouchi to Kaiba as the tension between them escalated.

"You're fucking crazy if you think I did this to myself, Kaiba," snapped Jonouchi as he got up from his seat, "Shit happened that was out of my control. I'm sorry. I was actually looking forward to this shoot today, and I thought the makeup would cover the bruise..."

He didn't want to spill about his father punching him in the face. As if Kaiba would understand. He didn't care. Probably never would, about anything that happened to him.

Giving Jonouchi a long look, Kaiba snorted loudly before turning on his heel. "There's no helping it. We'll have to cancel the shoot until that thing disappears off your face. You're dismissed for today," Kaiba said with a wave of his hand. He stalked off, barking orders to the film crew.

The absurd thought that it was way too fucking early for a second bout of shock flickered through Jonouchi's mind. He fell back into his seat numbly, the slow, sinking feeling of shame and disappointment seeping through his gut.

He felt a hand brush over his. "I'm really sorry, Jou-kun. I'll get an ice pack for you. Even if I had been able to cover it up, all the poking and prodding would have just made the healing process a whole heck of a lot more uncomfortable for you." Isa patted his hand and offered a weak smile before she, too, ran off.

Slumping in his seat, Jonouchi looked around sheepishly. The spotlights were being shut down, and the set was being broken down. A few of the crew members turned curious stares at Jonouchi (a few even somewhat hostile, Jonouchi noted), and Jonouchi ducked his head down miserably. All this was his fault. He'd let down the entire shoot staff, disrupting the Marketing department's entire new campaign.

There was nothing more to do now but go home to lick his wounds, so to speak. Jonouchi wasn't going to sit there feeling sorry for himself around Kaiba's people, and getting up from his seat, he quickly made a beeline for the door before getting outside and taking the subway back towards his part of town.

He was so angry. His hands were hidden in his pockets, and Jonouchi barely noticed when people jostled him around, the crowds thick with people. It was the middle of the morning, and all the salarymen were out in downtown, alongside tourists and shop girls. It got annoying quickly, and eventually Jonouchi took off running until he managed to get underground, finding a spot in the back of the subway car where he'd be safe to stew away without getting too many stares.

It wasn't like he wanted to get hit in the face, but he should have been more careful. His father had the propensity for violence, when he was mad enough, and Jonouchi was well-aware of that. He should have just let him tear the room apart, but he had been so angry when it had happened.

The place was still a mess, too. It would need cleaning, and Jonouchi walked slowly back home, stopping at a convenience shop for food and medication before getting all the way back to his shitty apartment.

Thankfully, the place was still empty. The only things left of his father were bottles of cheap beer in the fridge and cigarettes he'd forgotten on the coffee table. There was still a slew of clothes and books all over in Jonouchi's room, along with a stack of dirty dishes. Takeout boxes filled the countertops of the kitchen, and Jonouchi angrily set himself to cleaning the entire place up.

How the hell did the old man even manage to pay for chicken katsu when he didn't even have the money to pay off his loan sharks?

Another mystery among many others...

Pulling out a garbage bag, Jonouchi angrily shoved the trash into it, trying to burn off some of his aggression. He took out the cleaning supplies and got to work, still fuming over the events of the morning. Fucking Kaiba. He didn't have to be such a dick about it.

But he was like that about just about everything. It seemed like nothing Jonouchi ever did was right, and he was beginning to wonder why Kaiba had even offered him the sponsorship in the first place. It was clear that Kaiba didn't trust him—he'd stuck his fucking guard dog on him for the past week, and before that, Kaiba himself had latched on like some kind of parasite all throughout the anniversary party.

He acted like Jonouchi was some kind of heathen who couldn't control himself. It was just offensive, especially when _Kaiba _was the one who couldn't control himself around him-

Wait, backtrack on that thought. It was way too fucking early to go down that road, and Jonouchi was too irritated to entertain anything near what had occurred between them lately. Thinking about it now would only make him feel even more miserable. He didn't want to get himself messed up, trying to figure out what exactly was going on between them...

Working his way into the living room, Jonouchi cleared off the coffee table, throwing away the pack of cigarettes (shredding and wetting them for good measure, just in case his father got the bright idea to go dumpster diving) and separating the beer bottles out for recycling. He wiped down every surface, trying to at least mimic a facade of cleanliness in their otherwise shithole of a home. Jonouchi found the mindless, repetitive actions almost therapeutic, taking at least the edge off of his sour mood.

He tore apart everything: cleared out the refrigerator, chucked out rusting utensils and chipped drinkware, ripped out the couch cushions and vacuumed between the cracks (incidentally discovering his father's stash of girly magazines and throwing them out just to be mean), mopped every inch of floor. He had half a mind to raid his father's room, just to pay him back for the morning and all the trouble he'd caused, but Jonouchi knew that was only inviting more trouble in the long haul.

Sighing, he took a few deep breaths, holding the air in his lungs and releasing it slowly, before he opened the door to his room. His father had done a pretty thorough job of upturning the entire space. Cracking his knuckles, Jonouchi first sorted out his clothing—he'd probably have to re-wash his entire wardrobe, since everything was now beyond wrinkled. Or maybe he could borrow an iron from Honda—_if_ Honda even had one. Jonouchi straightened out his futon and reorganized the items sitting atop his small desk. Luckily he had already packed all of his dueling equipment in his bag before his father had gone on his rampage, so none of that had gotten destroyed or damaged.

He couldn't say the same about his floor lamp, which lay shattered on the floor. Not only had the bulb busted, but several wires had split when it had crashed to the ground, and Jonouchi offered up a silent prayer that the house hadn't burned down after he had left for work. He unplugged it carefully, sweeping up the broken bits. His desk chair would need replacing, as well: it was old and rickety, and the poor thing had essentially fallen apart when his father had knocked it over. No amount of wood glue would salvage it. Jonouchi's chest felt heavy as he broke down its larger pieces and stuffed them into the trash bag—he'd had that chair since he was a child, one of the few relics remaining from when the Jonouchis had still been a family.

It wasn't until after Jonouchi had tossed everything into the dumpster and scrubbed his hands of cleaning solution did he check the time. Somehow it was already four in the afternoon—seven whole hours had raced by unnoticed. Not once during his cleaning outburst had he felt hungry or thirsty, and Jonouchi hadn't even eaten in the morning. He still didn't, really, but the adrenaline rush was beginning to wane, and the cold sensation of tiredness was trickling across his body.

He didn't want to stay in the apartment any longer, though. Everytime he glanced around the room, he could feel his anger starting to rise again. Sure, if he had any sense in his head, Jonouchi would have eaten something and turned in early for the night, but he wouldn't allow himself to succumb to his physical aches. When he closed his eyes, he could still see Kaiba's face, impassively walking away from him while the entire crew stared.

Jonouchi wasn't going to take that shit lying down. Grabbing a backpack, he swore to himself as he raided the fridge, grabbing several bottles of beer before snatching his wallet off the counter. He didn't care if it got him fired. The guards wouldn't stop him; he wanted to make some trouble. Maybe it was his worse nature finally returning after trying so hard to play by everyone's rules.

Kaiba certainly didn't care about rules. He'd proven that enough times, from the drunk night at the company party to pinning Jonouchi against his car seat while kissing him. The memory burned in his mind, and Jonouchi could feel his face becoming uncomfortably warm before he swore and left the apartment. It wasn't right that Kaiba could do that shit and walk away like nothing had happened. And be such a miserable asshole all the time. Never be happy with anything Jonouchi did, no matter how hard he tried...

Kickstarting his motorcycle, Jonouchi didn't know. He didn't even care. There was no real plan in his head over what he was going to do besides just piss Kaiba off. Take the battle back to his place, so to speak. Something, anything to get some sort of payback. Jonouchi knew it was a bad idea, but his life was full of bad ideas, and he was still alive and kicking. This would just be another thing to remember (and perhaps regret) later on.

Kaiba's day had quickly deteriorated after the morning's grand failure. Rescheduling the shoot was proving to be a colossal nightmare, and Eguchi was still hammering out the details and renegotiating contracts. The unions had put up a fuss, the director was booked for the next two months, and the studio itself was due for a series of maintenance checks and technology refreshes. The Marketing department was in a panic, fervently altering their campaign timelines and calling up local media outlets to reschedule advertising spots. All in all, Kaiba had a number of perturbed (to put it lightly) employees to field, and it was all due to one person.

How in hell could Jonouchi fuck his face up _that badly_? Kaiba knew Jonouchi wasn't the wisest person and had a rough past, but really—Jonouchi had outdone himself this time around.

After working through the lunch hour to sort everything out as much as he could, Kaiba had received his second disruption of the day: a phone call from the airport police department. Evidently, one of his American technicians had thought it was a bright idea to bring a dime bag of pot into the country. How it had made it past American security and domestic incoming customs, Kaiba had no clue (_Yet another case spectacular of ineptness_, Kaiba had thought derisively), but Kaiba had spent the next two hours on the phone, trying to sort _that_ mess out. He'd had to pay quite a hefty sum to get the kid released and sweep the entire situation under the rug—it would have been disastrous for that bit of information to leak out. "Kaiba Corporation Employs Drug Addicts"—no thanks.

But it also meant that he'd had to fire the poor sap. While he'd saved the tech from years behind foreign bars, Kaiba had his own company policy to abide, which closely mirrored the national policy on drugs: no tolerance. It was a shame—the kid was intelligent and took naturally to the Solid Vision technology, and finding someone to replace him wouldn't be an easy task. The requirements for the job were rigorous, as was the subsequent internal training. Being down a lead technician threw off the entire Kaiba Land California timeline, in addition to doubling the workload on the remaining lead techs.

His day had quickly spiraled into one huge clusterfuck. He'd sent Eguchi home after an hour of overtime, electing to finish up the loose threads himself—no point in punishing someone who wasn't even involved in the fuck-ups. So when eight o'clock rolled around, Kaiba had had enough, and all he could think about was numbing his overworked brain with some good alcohol.

He had decided to walk the few blocks to Kaiba Hotel, wishing to stretch his legs after a day of being glued to his desk—he could just take a taxi home or call one of his drivers over. Sliding into one of the back corner booths, Kaiba didn't even have to signal for a waiter before he was served his usual double Scotch on the rocks. He downed it quickly, the coolness of the liquid burning down his throat providing a satisfying, yet dichotomous, sensation.

Signaling the bartender for another, Kaiba slumped back in the booth and sighed. He hadn't even had a chance to eat from all the craziness, but he found he didn't have much of an appetite, anyway. In reality, he could probably fall asleep easily right there in the booth, but drinking the night away sounded like a much better prospect.

There was too much on his mind to try sleeping, yet. He knew as soon as he lay down on his mattress at home, his mind would start racing, and nothing good would come of that. It didn't help that Kaiba was already a bit of an insomniac, and the events of the week before were still haunting his mind. He didn't want to have to resort to doing _that _ever again just to get some rest.

As the bartender refilled his glass, Kaiba remembered somberly how stupid he had felt afterwards. The wave of confusion and shame that had clouded his mind as it had started to fall into sleep. Touching himself wasn't the issue—he could hardly care about that anymore. Everyone did it, and sometimes he needed that release, but thinking about the idiot of all people and coming so quickly—that thought was...

Disturbing.

He didn't want that on his mind anymore, among other things. Mokuba was still willfully ignoring him. Kaiba had tried even getting Isono to speak to him, but apparently even his assistant couldn't manage communication with the kid. Soon it would come to sending Isono over there just to get the situation under control; Kaiba couldn't even remember what the fight was about. It just kept escalating into something he could no longer control.

There was also the case of playing damage control because of the stupid American and the bag of pot he tried sneaking back over to California. Kaiba knew inexperienced college students were trouble, but even intelligent people were susceptible to bad decision making, and there was nothing that could be done about that.

Just like Jonouchi and his massive bruise... only Jonouchi wasn't intelligent. He was quite stupid, or at least Kaiba told himself frequently that was the case.

How Jonouchi had gotten that bruise was still a mystery to Kaiba. He hadn't even bothered to ask—not that it mattered much, anyway. He severely doubted that Jonouchi was getting back into the kind of shit he'd heard floated in high school rumors, but other than the initial research Kaiba had conducted on Jonouchi, he didn't know all that much about the other's situation. It really wasn't Kaiba's concern, but maybe—considering recent events—it would be worthwhile for him to start actively looking into. Kaiba didn't want a repeat of the day's events—_ever_.

The bruise had been fresh. It marred the entire length of Jonouchi's left jaw, slightly extending down his throat. Jonouchi had either slammed into something hard or had been slammed hard _by_ something. Kaiba had noticed how Jonouchi's eyes had dilated in pain when he'd examined the other's face—there had been a brief moment of panic before Jonouchi had automatically pushed Kaiba away, shrinking back like a wary animal.

It was all very...curious.

Jonouchi's behavior in general, though, was curious, Kaiba mused as his fourth drink arrived. Two and a half weeks ago, they had shared a normal business relationship, and Jonouchi had been gradually trying to push it into a friendship of some sort. And then they had gotten drunk together and played that monumentally dumb idea of a game (admittedly, it had been his idea, but Kaiba hadn't been serious about it at _all_), and things had changed. Jonouchi, as usual, had over-thought things, and down the spiral they went. It had led to Kaiba kissing the idiot again, and Kaiba had to wonder about his own sanity.

Why did he become so undone around the loser? Kaiba kept everyone except his brother—and maybe Isono—at arm's length. So how was it that Jonouchi was always able to get under his skin, make him so riled up that he did things utterly abnormal and against reason? Lose his control...

It just didn't make any _sense_.

Kaiba stared at his now-empty glass, idly turning it to clink the melting ice together. Perhaps it was just the work of all the alcohol. They had gotten quite smashed during the anniversary party, and Kaiba had finished about a half a bottle of wine that night he'd kissed Jonouchi in his car. And there had been alcohol with the Americans, although he didn't think he had drunk all that much—at least nowhere near as much as Jonouchi. But Jonouchi had played it cool with Kaiba before any alcohol had been consumed, back on the golf carts, where everything had seemed normal again but wasn't.

His head felt fuzzy.

He would just have to ensure that they wouldn't ever be around each other while one of both of them was under the influence. It was a good thing, then, that it was the end of the day, and the only place Kaiba would be going was home. He just wanted to pass out and not think about anything. Not about work, or Mokuba, or any of the day's disruptions, and certainly not Jonouchi, who seemed to be on his mind more than Kaiba liked to admit.

Getting up, Kaiba stumbled to the bar, slapping two ten thousand yen bills down for the bartender. The good thing about drinking in your own establishment was the ability to write everything off as a business expense.

His vision swam when he pulled out his cell phone—it was only nine o'clock. He fumbled with the buttons on his phone, holding the screen up close to his eyes to subdue the double vision. Kaiba had finally managed to scroll down to his driver's number when he recalled it was the man's early-out day. And he'd sent Isono away on an overnight trip to Yokohama to investigate the progress of the circuit board he'd outsourced to a neighboring factory.

Well fuck. Kaiba straightened himself up as much as he could manage, taking quick, long strides to the front doors. There weren't that many people around, but Kaiba didn't want to let on that he was more inebriated than what was probably legal. Luckily, there was a cab waiting outside, and Kaiba fell into it with much less grace than usual. At least he remembered his own address.

Exhaling deeply, Kaiba slumped over across the back seat, lulled by the rhythmic vibrations from the road underneath through the upholstery. After the day he'd had, he couldn't wait to get home.

Jonouchi was in his office.

Jonouchi was in his office, and he was surrounded by a small colony of mostly empty beer bottles and cans. And he wasn't passed out, either. He was slumped on the floor against the front of Kaiba's desk, twirling an empty can around like a spinning top, Duel Monster cards scattered like confetti around him.

"You're late," he announced with slurred speech, "and a dick."

"And you," Kaiba mumbled as he held himself up by the doorframe, "are in my office. Why are you in my office."

"They let me in, so here I am. Get over it."

This couldn't be happening. "But why are you _here_," Kaiba insisted, "I sent you home. Hours ago."

"So? You don't have the last word on what I do with my life, Kaiba." Jonouchi took a long chug of his drink for emphasis, using the back of his hand to wipe his mouth. His eyes were rimmed with red, and his hair looked like a mess, probably from driving his bike over. That was the only logical explanation for how he ended up at the Kaiba Mansion, since he probably hadn't felt like paying for a cab.

Which meant he intended to stay the night. Even Jonouchi was smart enough not to drive back home drunk.

His bruise was still unsightly, but Kaiba stopped himself from staring at it. He frowned instead, still hovering by the door. He didn't want Jonouchi here. He didn't even know _why_ Jonouchi was here. "And how am I late. I'm never late. And this is _my house_. I don't remember inviting you. So get out," Kaiba babbled.

"Make me, tough guy. Besides, you don't really want me to leave, because then you'd be all by your pathetic, lonesome self, am I right?"

Jonouchi snorted darkly before nursing his bottle of booze again. He was drunk off his ass, but his words still had plenty of bite to them.

"Go fuck yourself, Jonouchi, I don't need- I don't need anyone," Kaiba said as he swayed in place. He really regretted not eating anything—the alcohol had gone straight to his brain, making him uneasy on his feet.

Instead of replying to Kaiba's words, Jonouchi just made an obscene gesture with his hands, making a jerk-off motion before giving Kaiba the middle finger. He clearly did not care what Kaiba thought and went about playing with the cans in front of him, creating a small stack.

Kaiba could feel his blood pressure begin to rise. All he'd wanted to do was pass out in his goddamn bed, and yet here this idiot was, mocking him in his own home. Stumbling across the room, Kaiba braced himself against the desk until he was standing in front of Jonouchi. He kicked out a leg and nudged Jonouchi's thigh with his foot. "Out."

"Make me."

Jonouchi inched out of the way, sliding across the floor away from Kaiba's lurking figure. He clearly wasn't prepared to get up. Probably too drunk to, if he was as intoxicated as the collection of beer bottles indicated. Kaiba certainly didn't want to risk him falling and passing out on the floor. That would be even more problematic. Kaiba was too drunk to carry him out, and the staff would ask questions. They'd seen Jonouchi plenty of times before...

Isono wouldn't approve.

Kaiba just didn't want to deal with him, yet the idea of Jonouchi skulking about his residence unhindered seemed like a far worse idea. "What are you, _twelve_? Get the fuck out. Or do you want a matching bruise to the one already on your stupid face?" Not that Kaiba currently had anywhere near the coordination to land a good hit, but Jonouchi didn't need to know that.

"You wouldn't dare," Jonouchi replied defiantly, "You're too much of a spoiled pretty boy to actually hit someone and mean it. Besides, you wouldn't like seeing my face wrecked any more than it already is."

Kaiba knew there was a little bit of truth to that, in more ways than one. For starters, he'd get screwed if Jonouchi ended up any more mangled-looking than he already was. Marketing needed him for the promo, but Jonouchi probably meant something completely different, and that made Kaiba's blood boil.

"Then should I just pay whoever did it to finish the job? We're already behind schedule, thanks to you, so what's another week or two," Kaiba bluffed. He didn't even want to acknowledge the hint behind Jonouchi's words, and if Jonouchi wouldn't be cooperative and just _leave_, maybe Kaiba could intimidate him out.

The color drained from Jonouchi's face as soon as the words escaped Kaiba's mouth, and then his face contorted with rage, his eyebrows drawing down and eyes sparking like an inferno.

"Go ahead, then," he yelled loudly, making Kaiba wince for a second from the rise in volume, "I'm sure my old man would appreciate it. He needs the money, and maybe that'll save me another fist to the face next time I tell him to stop trying to fucking rob me in my own fucking apartment. You don't know a fucking thing about my life, Kaiba. Get over yourself already—you're not as smart as you think you are, and you're not the only fucking person in this world who's been met with a touch of tragedy in their life. Maybe if you weren't so fucking miserable a person, you'd be able to see past your own bullshit for once in your life."

Jonouchi appeared almost out of breath by the time he finished. His face was flushed and his breath had quickened, but it didn't appear like he was planning on backing down anytime soon. If anything, he seemed more impassioned than ever.

The admission was more than Kaiba was prepared to process. He'd stepped on a fucking _landmine_, it seemed, and now the idiot was clearly looking for a fight. Kaiba's vision stretched and blurred, and the back of his skull felt tight.

Fuck this. He didn't need to deal with this shit. Not tonight. "Take your fucking sob story somewhere else, Jonouchi. I'm done." Kaiba turned away, kicking some of the bottles for good measure, and stalked across the hallway towards his own room. His mounting anger gave him a moment of enough clarity to focus on the action, and Kaiba was glad he didn't trip over his own feet as he exited.

"You're such a fucking piece of shit!"

Jonouchi quickly rose up, enraged. He nearly ran after Kaiba, following from behind fast enough to stop him from bolting his bedroom door shut. He was strong enough to hold the door open long enough to wedge through, and Jonouchi clearly didn't care about getting in trouble with the staff. Kaiba wasn't prepared to do much about it, since he didn't want security listening in on what the idiot had to say, so somehow he'd have to haul Jonouchi's ass out before they actually traded blows and broke something.

"And I don't fucking care what you think of my crappy situation," Jonouchi continued, slamming the door behind him loud enough that it echoed throughout the bedroom, "I never fucking cared about yours. No one does. If it wasn't for your brother, people would have left you a long time ago.

"Mokuba had the right idea, leaving your sorry ass behind."

Kaiba stilled, rearing around to face Jonouchi. Black spots began to color his vision, and all he could feel was the anger coursing through his veins. His hands twitched beside him, and Kaiba balled them into fists, trembling. "Don't you fucking talk about my brother," he warned between gritted teeth.

"Why, because there's some fucking truth to it?" Jonouchi laughed before his face turned dark again, "Why won't he answer your phone calls? Why didn't he come back to Japan with the Americans? He's fucking avoiding you! He sent his damn secretary rather than see you himself!"

Kaiba felt something in him snap. He marched forward, balling both fists into Jonouchi's shirt and hauled him around. He could feel the adrenaline rush finally hit, and despite Jonouchi's scratching and flailing, Kaiba didn't feel a thing. Just the inner rage, culminating from the alcohol and the stress, and stupid fucking Jonouchi and his confusing actions and hurtful words. Pushing Jonouchi backwards, Kaiba took a sharp knee to his thigh, and Jonouchi's face was twisting in anger, but Kaiba simply didn't care. "Just. Shut. _Up_," he said, not really knowing what he was doing.

"_Mokuba doesn't like you_," Jonouchi shot back to Kaiba's face, his eyes a little wild and his hands grabbing where Kaiba's wrists were as he tried pulling Kaiba's grip away from the collar of his shirt, "_No one can like you, Kaiba. You probably don't even like yourself._"

Kaiba's eyes widened, his grip tightening on Jonouchi. Mokuba...doesn't like him? That was absurd. Kaiba had given everything to him. Everything Kaiba had ever done, every despicable thing, six years suffering under a monster—it was all for him. Kaiba didn't need anyone. He didn't even need to like himself.

But.

His brother meant _everything_ to him. So what if Jonouchi was _right_?

Before Kaiba knew what he was doing, a hand had broken away and was rearing back—it was like he had no control over his own body. He caught a look of true fear in Jonouchi's eyes, and Jonouchi shut his eyes tightly in anticipation of the blow.

It never came.

Instead, Kaiba roughly shoved Jonouchi back, the latter catching the backs of his calves on the side of Kaiba's bed and falling backwards. And then Kaiba had crawled on top of him, fueled by grief and fury, crushing their mouths together. _Shut up shut up shut up_! The litany rang through his mind as Kaiba lost all sense of self.

Jonouchi fought back once the realization hit him, slamming his fists onto Kaiba's shoulders in an attempt to push him off. He met each of Kaiba's kisses with bites, rocking his entire body to unsteady the man on top of him, but Kaiba wrestled Jonouchi's hands away, pinning the other's legs down heavily with his knees. Jonouchi managed to successfully buck Kaiba off once, but Kaiba's reactions were faster, and he was able to sling Jonouchi further up the bed.

With each touch of lips, Kaiba could feel his anger burn away, replaced by a feeling he couldn't pinpoint. It was true—he was fucking _lonely_, although he didn't care to admit it, and the feeling of someone so close was almost unbearable. And by dumb bad luck, that person just had to be Jonouchi, the nearest proximity he had to a friend, and who would probably hate him after this.

But somewhere along the line, the biting and the scratching had stopped, and Kaiba felt hands clutching onto his arms, almost pulling him closer. The shift threw him for a loop, snapping him back to reality, and Kaiba pulled back, searching.

Jonouchi was breathing hard, his chest rising and falling with short gasps. His eyes were closed and his cheeks were flushed, a light sheen of sweat beading across his forehead. Kaiba felt the hands squeeze against him.

"Jonouchi, I'm-" Kaiba didn't even know what to say. Sorry?

He found his words turned against him as Jonouchi opened his eyes and threaded a hand through Kaiba's hair, "Just shut up." And then Kaiba was tugged forward as Jonouchi was kissing _him_. It was sloppy but insistent, and Kaiba fell into the motions as Jonouchi guided them along.

The room was becoming hot. Jonouchi's hands had found their way down to the band of Kaiba's pants, tugging the tails of his shirt upwards. His palms were warm and clammy, roaming fingers over muscles before they were suddenly gone, moving away to pull the buttons open. Kaiba could feel himself getting caught up in the frenzy, unsure whether to allow the situation to continue on to wherever it was going to go or stop Jonouchi now before they did something they might later regret.

He wasn't even sure why Jonouchi was instigating it now. Kaiba knew Jonouchi had been partly receptive to his attempts in the past, but Jonouchi had said several times that he wasn't interested in men. That being homosexual was wrong and weird, and he didn't want Kaiba touching him again. It didn't make any sense, but Kaiba didn't want to dwell too long on trying to make sense of it. Jonouchi never made any fucking sense. And with hands grabbing at him continuously, urging him on, Kaiba didn't stop to think over it, either.

Common sense be damned—he was too drunk and lonely to care about anything at this point besides being touched by another person. Even if it was Jonouchi doing it.

They began to grind against one another, their bodies tangling as they continued to press their lips together. Jonouchi tasted like cheap beer and copper, and Kaiba wondered for a moment whether he or Jonouchi had split a lip during the initial fight. His chest felt constricted, and Kaiba closed his eyes and lost himself in the moment. He let his mind drift, trying to identify the strange ache in his chest, and Kaiba was surprised to recognize the feeling as desire. It was unfamiliar and at the same time thrilling: the only time he'd felt anything close to it was when he had hunted after his Blue-Eyes White Dragons. The feeling had been consuming—he'd _needed _to possess them, tirelessly pursuing their whereabouts until they were in his grasp. But this, this was different—the desire burned through him, set his body aflame. He _needed _to touch, to explore, to _feel_. Kaiba felt like a magnet pulled towards an opposing force: there was no rhyme or reason, it simply was, existed as truth. And in that moment, he needed Jonouchi.

Kaiba could feel Jonouchi's arousal through the fabric of his jeans. It spurred him on more, and he slid his hands down Jonouchi's waist, kneading at the cut of his hip. Jonouchi pushed up against him, and the feeling was maddening. Kaiba trailed his hand forward, until it was resting against the opening of Jonouchi's jeans.

Jonouchi had stilled for a split-second, but then the arms wrapped around Kaiba's shoulders tightened, Jonouchi's lips becoming more urgent against his own. Kaiba ducked down to press a kiss under Jonouchi's jaw, and Jonouchi hissed at the pressure, fingers digging into Kaiba's shoulder blades. Moving fractionally downwards, Kaiba raked teeth over Jonouchi's neck, working his tongue against the taut flesh, and Jonouchi gasped, hips bucking.

Taking that as encouragement, Kaiba pulled the top button of Jonouchi's jeans open, sliding down the zipper before pulling the pants entirely off him. He touched him, eliciting a full-body shudder, before removing Jonouchi's boxers as well. Taking Jonouchi into his hands, he also worked the hem of Jonouchi's shirt up, exposing his chest as Kaiba worked his way down.

Jonouchi seemed to find his head at that point, and his hands scrambled to Kaiba's pants, fingers hooking into Kaiba's belt and tugging. Kaiba almost let out a snort of laughter at the other's insistence, and he moved his hands over Jonouchi's, working the belt free. Pushing his pants and underwear down his hips, Kaiba didn't bother completely removing them. He was too aroused to struggle with clothing past removing the essentials—it was like they were under some kind of spell, and if one of them paused too long, reality would come crashing down, and the spell would be broken.

"Turn over," Kaiba said, and Jonouchi, dazed, complied—twisting so that his chest was flush against the mattress. He seemed to lose momentum mid-shift, and his legs were still turned on their side, but he made no further motion to move. He lay there and breathed heavily through his mouth, and the sight of Jonouchi—his eyes half-lidded and glazed over with his own desire and his body exposed—almost made Kaiba lose it right there. He leaned forward, groping against the nightstand for a bottle of lube and a condom. Pouring an overly-generous amount onto his fingers, Kaiba tossed the bottle aside. Jonouchi almost jumped at first, and Kaiba leaned forward again to distract him, nipping at Jonouchi's bottom lip and pressing his tongue against Jonouchi's. Kaiba knew he was going too quickly, but he couldn't slow himself down. He felt ready to burst, like all the intersections of his body would explode if he didn't have Jonouchi soon.

Kaiba could feel Jonouchi's heart hammering, hot puffs of air released in short exhalations, his body tensing as he reacted to Kaiba's touches. Kaiba tried to wait.

And then he couldn't wait any longer.

With Jonouchi lying below him alluringly, Kaiba took his chance. He could feel himself falling deep- quick breaths and warm moist skin- his heart nearly beating out of his chest. The smell of desire filling his nostrils. Every nerve in his body was on fire. His skin felt very sensation, his moans deep and full. Jonouchi at that moment fully belonged to him, and he savored every moment of it, his brain trying to stash away the sensations of euphoria until it came to a sudden climax.

Jonouchi shuddered underneath. Kaiba grunted from satisfaction, watching as Jonouchi collapsed on the bed. He'd made his mark, and staring at Jonouchi's back admiringly, he suddenly just realized what he'd done before feeling something warm dripping down his left nostril.

He felt light-headed. There were strange red dots on the sheets. Brain snapping back on, Kaiba's hand flew to his nose, and sure enough, his fingers were smeared with blood when he pulled them away. Luckily, it was just a small trickle and not a full-on nosebleed, but it was still mortifying all the same. Hastily wiping away the evidence on the already ruined sheets, Kaiba collapsed next to Jonouchi and joined him in sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

The bed wasn't right. Jonouchi could surmise that much without opening his eyes—it was much softer than his ancient futon, and the ground seemed further away—his back wasn't digging into it like how he woke up most mornings. The sheets weren't scratchy or paper-thin, either.

So that meant he wasn't in his room. And if he wasn't in his room, he wasn't at home. He definitely wasn't at Honda's, though—Honda didn't have a spare bed at his apartment, so Jonouchi always had crashed on his friend's couch or in a sleeping bag whenever they'd done a night of marathon drinking.

His head hurt. His stomach hurt, too, for that matter: it rumbled and sloshed, full of only liquid. His skin felt dry, and his mouth was like sandpaper.

Actually, _everything_ hurt. His shoulders down to the small of his back ached, his lips felt like they had been put through a blender, and his hips felt funny. There was an ache completely foreign to him along his backside.

Jonouchi tried to roll over, but then the world was spinning. He felt pinned to place while everything oscillated around him, and the nauseating feeling traveled up his gut to his throat. Fuck, was he going to be sick? He rarely puked from drinking…

He needed to get up. Get some liquid other than whatever the fuck he'd be drinking the night before in his system. But there was a dense weight around his waist, and Jonouchi was immobile. The weight was warm. Still squinting his eyes tightly to avoid the sun, Jonouchi fumbled around with his hands, trying to figure out what was trapping him. His hand brushed against his stomach as it flopped around, and Jonouchi felt an odd flaking. Gross, what the hell was on him? The weight wouldn't budge.

Trying an alternative, Jonouchi kicked his legs around. They were twisted in the sheets, and he felt a strange draft whenever the sheet was pulled up too much. It was like...he didn't have any pants on.

Wait. Eyes flying open, Jonouchi attempted to prop himself up on an elbow. He felt like hell, and his eyes were crusted over, his vision blurry. Blinking a few times, Jonouchi noticed an uncomfortable pressing against his arms and discovered it to be his shirt, which had been hiked up all the way to his armpits. And then looking down, Jonouchi realized with slow, mounting horror that he was indeed naked from the waist-down. And the same crusted something on his groin was also smeared across his buttocks...

Flailing around with a sudden burst of energy, Jonouchi willed himself to ignore the sick, sinking feeling that he knew to be from more than just a hangover. He managed to roll onto his back with some effort before he registered the annoyed groaning coming from right beside him.

Kaiba was pressed against his side, and the weight had been his arm, still latched onto Jonouchi's middle.

Suddenly, the hairs on Jonouchi's arms and neck stood up, goosebumps rapidly springing. Kaiba's hair was tousled, and his shirt was entirely unbuttoned, exposing his chest. He was sleeping deeply, his mouth slightly open, causing a light snore.

Just what had happened last night? What had they _done_? Jonouchi didn't want to know.

He tried sitting up, but his stomach muscles cramped so badly, and a sharp, stabbing pain shot along Jonouchi's back all the way down to the backs of his knees. It was completely unnerving. Not unbearable, though. But he felt entirely worn-out, his brain sputtering like a backfiring engine.

They had done something he was immediately regretting, that was for sure. The hangover was coming over him quicker than he'd hoped, and pulling Kaiba's grip away from his waist while searching for his boxers under the sheets, Jonouchi finally was able to get free and put his underwear back on. Not that he'd ever get any semblance of dignity back after what he could only imagine happened the night before, but Jonouchi didn't want to think too hard about that, yet.

Not when he needed the toilet.

He ran across Kaiba's bedroom blindly, praying to every deity he knew for the right door when he thankfully found the master bathroom. Running to the toilet, he quickly lifted the lid before his body heaved, vomit spilling out of his mouth as his gut burned from the muscular soreness of the night before. It came in waves, the urgency to clear his system taking over as he threw up several times into the basin, not backing away until his stomach clenched and the only thing that was coming out was the drool and spit Jonouchi was trying to wipe off his face.

It stank. Dropping the lid, Jonouchi quickly flushed the toilet, collapsing on the seat pitifully before letting out a frustrated sigh. This was not how he wanted to be found, paying homage to the porcelain god, but what else could he do about it? He wasn't about to go puking across Kaiba's bedroom.

When Jonouchi looked up, Kaiba was hovering by the door. His hair was still a mess, and his shirt was untucked and open, but at least he was all tucked into his slacks, even if they were hanging low on his hips, unzipped. He yawned loudly, covering his mouth with his hand. "Anything left in your stomach, or did you make a full deposit?"

"You're not funny."

Turning back to hide his face, Jonouchi slumped over the top of the lid again before feeling a headache coming on. Probably from the lack of fluids. It would be just his luck to die in Kaiba's bathroom, of all places.

He refused to get up off the floor until Kaiba was gone. Jonouchi didn't move, just sitting there limp and feeling dead as his abdomen trembled painfully a few times, and he could feel the ache inside his guts continue on. His lower back also hurt, his tailbone throbbing, and the obnoxious soreness that he couldn't quite put a finger on only grew more intense as he remained a heap on the floor, trying not to move.

Could have been worse, though. At least Jonouchi was wearing some clothes now, in his moment of complete shame.

He heard the distant opening and shutting of a cabinet, and then something smooth and cool was pressing against his shoulder. Reluctantly opening his eyes, Jonouchi registered that Kaiba was dangling a water bottle by his head as he guzzled down his own. Accepting it rather pitifully, Jonouchi slowly cracked the top open and took a hesitant sip. Kaiba was rummaging through his drawers, not paying Jonouchi much attention. He didn't know whether he should feel offended or grateful.

"I have some aspirin, if you need it. Some ibuprofen, too." Kaiba rattled the bottles for emphasis.

"I don't want your drugs," Jonouchi mumbled as he sighed and put a hand through his hair. He tugged at it before letting go and straightening out his shirt. "Do you mind if I just use your shower?"

"Go ahead." Kaiba's eyes did a quick sweep of Jonouchi's figure. "There are clean towels in the closet next to it." He stood there for a few awkward moments, something like nervousness coloring his expression. But that didn't make any sense at all—Kaiba was never nervous. "I'll leave you to it," he finally said, turning around and silently shutting the door behind him.

"Yeah, you do that," replied Jonouchi underneath his breath as soon as Kaiba was out of earshot. He had no idea what to make of the situation happening before him. His memory was shot to hell, but not completely. With a headache slicing through his skull, Jonouchi couldn't really focus on remembering the details of a night full of drinking, when he was sure he didn't even really want to know what exactly they'd been doing together in Kaiba's bedroom, alone at night.

It wasn't rocket science to figure out.

Taking off his shirt and underwear, Jonouchi heaved out his frustration before opening the glass door to the elegant shower room Kaiba had set up. There were several shower heads instead of just one, along with a marble seat in the corner for relaxing. How nice that must be, while Jonouchi could barely fit into the shower he had in his crappy apartment.

Turning on the hot water, he hid under the largest shower head for a long time. The smell of sweat and Kaiba's musk eventually went away, along with the putrid stink of vomit and cheap beer. Jonouchi scrubbed at his skin and hair, using one of the clean washcloths and the plainest smelling bar of soap he could find before swiping off what appeared to be dried semen from his abdomen and groin.

How it managed to get that far up his chest, Jonouchi didn't even want to know. He'd never done that before.

And taking his hand back over to wipe his backside, he was horrified to find more crusted-over cum smeared all along the outside of his ass.

There was no denying it now, no matter how hard Jonouchi tried. All that tension between them must have finally burst, and since they had both probably been drinking, no one had been coherent enough to stop it. Jonouchi knew enough about sex to know the signs of when it had happened. He knew what he smelled like, even if Kaiba's scent was strange. Just like the pain he was feeling in what he now recognized was his anus.

Letting out an angry groan, Jonouchi pulled at his hair before closing his eyes and trying to get a hold on himself. Sure, it was humiliating to think about, but people did stupid things while drunk. It wasn't the end of the world. He now might not be able to look Kaiba in the face for a while without feeling utterly naked for a long time, but he didn't need to let one bad mistake get to him too badly...

Was it even a mistake? Clearly he'd gotten off from it, or else there wouldn't have been ejaculate all over the front of his body. Jonouchi could recall the night before more vividly when he closed his eyes and tried to think about it, but he didn't want to. He wanted to get out of Kaiba's house and get back home. Maybe if he was lucky, his dad would still be gone, and Jonouchi could sleep the rest of the day away, or at least stew in his misery alone.

Turning off the taps, Jonouchi stood still as he let the water drip from his hair, counting each droplet. He wasn't ready to face Kaiba. Maybe if he stretched his luck, Kaiba would have already abandoned him for one thing or another. Trailing puddles as he searched for a towel, Jonouchi brusquely dried off before gingerly stepping back into his boxers and pulling his shirt back on. At least sleeping mostly naked had spared his clothes the mess.

It appeared that luck wasn't with him that morning. Kaiba was sitting on the edge of his bed, staring off into space and absently drumming his fingers. The bed had been somewhat made—Kaiba had seemingly made an attempt to straighten out the sheets, and the rest of Jonouchi's clothing had been tossed on top. Although Kaiba still was dressed in his clothes from the previous day, at least he had buttoned most of his shirt up and zipped up his pants. He came to from the sharp snap of the door closing.

"Sorry for leaving the mess in your study; I'd stick around to clean it up, but I have to get going." That was a lie, though. Jonouchi didn't have work unless Kaiba needed him for something, but the last thing on earth he wanted was for that to happen. He needed to get out of that place, and quick.

"I guess I'll see you around, then."

"Wait, Jonouchi-" There was impatience in Kaiba's voice, and a sense of urgency. His eyebrows were furrowed, and he rose from the bed as he spoke, taking a step forward. Jonouchi couldn't tell exactly, but it seemed like there was almost a look of panic to Kaiba's face, as though he was...distraught?

That was insane. Why should _he_ be distraught when _Jonouchi_ was the one who had just-

He didn't want to go there. Never, never, never. He'd write this entire incident off as a one-off, never to be repeated.

Kaiba's expression shifted then to confusion. "Are you really going to leave without any pants on?" He shook his head and spoke again, "We need to talk about this."

Avoiding Kaiba's eyes, Jonouchi moved away from the door long enough to grab his jeans, yanking them on and fixing his shirt nervously before shaking his head a few times. "No, we don't. Shit happens...I have to go-"

He knew his expression appeared panicked, but Jonouchi didn't care. It wasn't in his nature to try hiding his feelings, and he darted for the door as quickly as he could before Kaiba tried getting another word in. They didn't need to talk about something that had clearly been a drunken mishap. It wasn't the first time Jonouchi had had sex under the influence, and probably wouldn't be the last. Unfortunately, from what he could remember of it, Kaiba had ended up being more exciting than Jonouchi's first partner, and that bothered him on so many levels he didn't want to even begin figuring out...

It could all wait. Ignoring the pain in his lower back and abdomen, Jonouchi shot down the stairs as quickly as he could before someone could try detaining him. Kaiba was acting strangely, and there was no telling how he'd react to being jilted. Jonouchi didn't plan on sticking around long enough to find out. His body ached, his hips felt bruised, and he wanted to sleep off his discomfort alone for a while until he felt more ready to face the rest of his day.

Shit, he had forgotten that he'd left his bag in Kaiba's office. Racing back up, Jonouchi darted into the room, sweeping up the Duel Monsters cards on the floor and knocking over a few bottles in his haste. Clutching his bag close to his chest, he ran back down the stairs, stepping into his shoes and nearly flying out the front door. Kaiba had been nowhere to be seen.

Double shit—Jonouchi had forgotten that he'd driven his bike over. Nothing he could do about it, though—it was either leave the thing at the mansion (and risk seeing Kaiba again, way too soon) or try his best to putter it home and not fall over in the process.

Slinging his bag across his chest, Jonouchi opted for the latter. It took him an embarrassing five tries before he was able to kickstart the engine to life, and then he shakily mounted it, pulling away from the mansion without looking back. He still felt sick to his stomach, and his head was now throbbing like it was being jackhammered, but all Jonouchi could think about was getting home.

He'd had to stop several times along the way, nearly retching in a side alley a mile away from his apartment. Leaning heavily on the railing as he pulled himself up the stairs, Jonouchi fumbled around for his keys, took a deep breath, and opened the door.

The apartment was unoccupied—the one little bit of luck in his morning so far. Jonouchi threw his keys upon the counter, flipped the deadbolt, and kicked out of his shoes. He stumbled hunched-over to his bedroom, closed the door behind him, and fell onto his futon. Cocooning himself in his top sheet, Jonouchi closed his eyes, breathing in the familiar scent of his own room.

It was a small comfort in a morning full of uncomfortable events. Waking up next to Kaiba was something he'd never thought would happen, much less after a night of seemingly rough sex. But the thought that tickled at the back of his brain, that was much worse than the reality of the events, was that Jonouchi couldn't say he hadn't enjoyed it. And troubling him further, Jonouchi wasn't quite sure why the fact that it had been _Kaiba _didn't bother him so much as it should have. Jonouchi had slept with another man and had _liked_ it, so what did that mean for him?

* * *

There was a kind of panic that set in when Jonouchi took off out of the bedroom that Kaiba hadn't ever felt before. He'd never felt out of control in a situation, not since he was thirteen. Not since Kaiba Gozaburo had been in his life did Kaiba Seto ever feel like he didn't have a handle on himself or the other people around him.

The return of that sinking kind of uncertainty was not welcome, and Kaiba had trouble shaking it off. He didn't know what to say to Jonouchi, even if he had stayed, yet he had needed to say something. Usually he never felt any obligation to continue communication after a hook-up; they had all been purely for his own personal needs. While Kaiba was never purposely callous towards any of his sexual partners, he never really cared too much about their own pleasure, either.

Now he felt doubt and embarrassment, almost. The kind of silliness teenage boys fretted over, not grown-ass adult men. Kaiba didn't like the feeling.

He was on his fourth cup of coffee, yet it had done nothing to soothe his nerves. Intellectually, Kaiba knew the stimulant would only have the reverse effect on his body, but coffee was an essential part of his daily ritual. It comforted him, signaling a proper start to a day: Pavlovian. He was grateful it was his day off—Kaiba admitted that he would have been useless at work had he needed to go in, and the fewer amount of people to witness him in this condition, the better. So far the morning was passing by in a daze, Kaiba drifting from room to room, being a general (if unintended) nuisance to his staff and being unable to just _land_.

Everything seemed to have a vestige of Jonouchi. The bedroom still smelled like him; the bathroom still had his dirty towel draped across the tiles. The office was still littered with Jonouchi's spent beer bottles. Their chess game in the study had never been reset. Even his lab had marks of Jonouchi—on the Dueling Machine, with Jonouchi's deck the last one loaded, and the doodles and tiny paper cranes Jonouchi had left scattered around while he'd waited for the computer to boot up before each training session.

It didn't leave Kaiba many places to go. He wanted to stay holed up at home, but there was nowhere he could _be_. And so Kaiba continued his nomadic sojourn throughout the mansion, pausing for brief moments in the kitchen, the media room, and the gardens, then back to the kitchen again for refills. He avoided the ballroom and his adoptive father's old study, a chill settling on his skin as he passed by each.

Kaiba couldn't shake off the uncertainty after Jonouchi have taken off on him. It was thoroughly vexing. There was no closure between them. They had just had sex, yet Kaiba had no idea why it had even happened in the first place...

He thought Jonouchi hated him. It didn't make any sense. One minute, he'd been practically screaming down his throat about what a horrible person Kaiba was, and then the next, Jonouchi had been trying to undress him. There had been a critical shift the night before, when Jonouchi had stopped fighting him and started to want him. Kaiba had even given Jonouchi an out during the entire mess, when reason had fleetingly returned to him, but Jonouchi hadn't taken it, instead willing him on…

And so the coldness had returned.

They'd been through this before, Kaiba noted regrettably as he meandered through the mansion. The very first time in the study, when a simple, immature game had changed into something else. And then the second time in the car after a failed dinner, when a plan to prove a point had backfired. Each time had been a cyclical series of cold-hot-cold, and this time wasn't any different. It was confusing, and even more so, since Kaiba himself wasn't even sure what to think of things.

He liked men. Jonouchi claimed to not. Yet somehow they kept drawing near to each other, despite full intentions to stay away. And everything that had happened between them, from Kaiba losing the Duel to the culmination of the night before was beginning to seem like some strange inevitability, like chemicals in a long, slow-burning reaction.

Really, when Kaiba thought about it, had his fate been sealed since high school? No one had ever registered on his external radar apart from Yugi. And Jonouchi. There had been no question about Yugi—he was Kaiba's rival, the only one who could ever match his own skill. There had been no reason to acknowledge Jonouchi's existence, and yet Kaiba had done just that every day of their high school career, from trading insults to petty squabbling to dueling. Jonouchi had a way of getting Kaiba's attention like no other person or thing could, getting under his skin until he became almost a fixture. It made no sense. What about the idiot made him this way?

Kaiba had never felt anything like how he had felt the night before, either. Before, sex had been merely the fulfillment of a physical need—simply applying maintenance to an adult body. There had only ever been one goal in mind, and the who or why of it wasn't of particular concern to Kaiba. Yet the night prior, with Jonouchi underneath him, Kaiba had yearned for some kind of gratification beyond the physical high.

It was terrifying. The tight grasp of control on which Kaiba dictated his life had been relinquished—first with a slip to Mokuba, and then completely to Jonouchi. The realization made Kaiba feel ill: a combination of sinking dread and nervous butterflies. He knew he wanted Jonouchi, but Kaiba didn't know what that even meant or entailed. For either of them. Or if Jonouchi even truly wanted anything of him, either.

Jonouchi wasn't gay. They didn't really _like_ each other, at least on the surface. And Kaiba was treading on thin ice by starting something with an employee. Everything seemed to point to doomed from the start, but for some reason, Kaiba wasn't ready to let the possibility go.

He had never been one to just lie down and take the universe's beatings. Kaiba fought for what he wanted—faced every challenge head-on and ruthlessly pursued his ambitions. It's what had gotten him so far in life, and really the only way of living he knew.

And so Kaiba had wanted to talk to Jonouchi, even if he hadn't had the words to express the tumult of emotions he was feeling. To find out if Jonouchi was feeling the same way, or if Kaiba had really jumped off the deep end this time. To ask what had changed, and why Jonouchi had allowed things to escalate... Going so far as to encourage it. And where did they go from here, if anywhere at all?

His coffee had gone cold. Frowning, Kaiba returned once again to the kitchen, dumping the contents of his mug in the sink. He'd been circling the mansion for so long, lost in rumination, that he'd completely forgotten about the cup in his hand. Sighing, he went to pour another cup, hesitated, then decided against it. No amount of coffee was going to right his morning. Discarding his mug in the sink, Kaiba continued on his trail.

It was frustrating how Jonouchi just shut him out, bailing at the first opportunity that arose. He didn't even try acknowledging anything that had transpired between them—barely looking Kaiba in the eye that morning. The dismissal stung deep in Kaiba's chest.

He didn't like feeling anxious over another person. It was hard enough dealing with Mokuba, but now adding another person to his list of "I give a fuck"s was draining. Especially when he knew Jonouchi's feelings on the subject were probably not the same.

The first thing he'd done upon waking up was vomit in the toilet...

Scoffing, Kaiba turned his eyes away from the light of the outside window and went back to staring at the ground. He had better things to do with his time than dwelling over Jonouchi Katsuya. They'd see each other again soon, anyway. They still had business together, thanks to Kaiba's "genius" little power-trip idea (he could see now that he'd only done this to himself). Jonouchi would have to return, and Kaiba could figure out what to say then. They wouldn't be able to avoid each other for very long.

But still, he didn't want it stuck in his mind for the rest of the day, either.

Irritated and unable to express his frustration at the subject of his internal angst, Kaiba decided to just give up and go back upstairs. At first he was going to go back to his bedroom and clean up to spare his staff the remnants of his late-night activities, but instead, he paused at Mokuba's bedroom door.

He'd been gone for some time. Kaiba couldn't remember what they had even fought about. It had never occurred to him that Mokuba would actually pack up and leave. Even worse, not respond to any kind of contact Kaiba had tried to initiate. He didn't exactly understand why it had happened, but he couldn't allow it to continue like that anymore. It was too draining, on top of everything else.

Flipping his phone open, Kaiba stared at his brother's number. It wasn't a good time to be calling Mokuba. The time difference was terrible, and his brother probably wouldn't even pick up, anyway. But still, Kaiba didn't think he could continue on. having the two main people in his life (pathetic, he only had two) shun him when he needed someone to talk to...

So, letting out a heavy sigh of surrender, Kaiba made up his mind to apologize. It was probably the first time in a long time for him. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd said the words "I'm sorry_,_" but maybe that was all Mokuba needed to hear to come back.

* * *

For the second time that day, Jonouchi woke up disoriented. It took a few moments for him to register where he was, and he couldn't tell how long he had been passed out. He had almost believed that the events of the previous night and that morning had been a dream, until he pulled himself up from his futon and felt the dull ache along his backside.

Flopping back down, Jonouchi lay still and silent, assessing his surroundings. It was still light outside—early afternoon, if the shadows dancing on his wall were any indication. He couldn't hear anything outside his door, so it was probable that his father still hadn't returned home. Crawling to a seated position, Jonouchi rubbed at his belly and sighed, working his way upright. He peeled off his clothes and dropped them into a pile, then sorted through his closet until he found something more towards the casual spectrum of his new wardrobe. He quickly dressed, poked through his bag to remove his dueling gear (he'd have to examine his cards later and ensure none of them had been damaged during his boozing session), and uncovered his cell phone at the bottom of it.

One missed call from his sister and two texts from Honda. Seeing the notifications made Jonouchi feel a little guilty—since he'd started the gig at KaibaCorp, he'd been so busy that his weekly check-ins with Shizuka had completely escaped his memory, and he'd all but ignored Honda. It was hard to keep in touch now that they weren't working together anymore, and Honda was taking night classes four days out of the week.

It was only a little after three in the afternoon—maybe he could catch Honda on the tail-end of his shift. Jonouchi didn't even care if the old dragon was there—maybe Fujiwara could show him how to rewire his bike so that the turn signals didn't glitch so much. Anything to take his mind off the present.

The shop, as always, was fairly empty when Jonouchi rolled up. The garage door was open, and Honda was busy wiping the grease from a set of wrenches.

"Dude," Honda called out, his face dirty and eyes widening in recognition, "what the hell happened to your face?"

Jonouchi paused mid-step before he recalled the bruise along his jaw. His mind had been so full of other things that he'd forgotten about it. Thinking fast, Jonouchi smiled weakly, rubbing a hand against the back of his head, "My old man stored some shit on top of the fridge—fell on me when I opened it the other day. Got nailed by a box of old dishes." He hated lying, but he just didn't want to get into it—he shouldn't still be his father's punching bag at twenty-one years of age.

"I wasn't born yesterday, Jonouchi. I know what a punch to the face looks like. Forget it. What are you doing here, anyways? Visiting the common people?"

Jonouchi snorted, tossing his bag on the floor and climbing up on the counter. His body still ached, but the familiar actions set him at ease, harkening back to a time when his life was much less complicated. "Got that right. How's the old dragon holding up?"

"He's fine. Already found some street urchin to replace you with," laughed Honda, "You know how he is. Business comes first. The new guy isn't as fun to hang around, though. Why didn't you stop by more?"

"Too damn busy," Jonouchi replied, swinging his legs back and forth, "Kaiba pretty much works me to the bone—you know how it is."

"No, I don't know." Honda smirked, peering at Jonouchi's new clothes before folding his arms and snorting, "All new clothes, huh? Not chic enough for Kaiba Corporation, so they gave you a new wardrobe? How generous of them."

Jonouchi tugged at his shirt and frowned. "Yeah, they're all too fancy over there. Something about blending in with the corporate culture or some shit. At least I didn't have to pay for any of it—it wasn't fun playing dress-up doll, though."

"...Kaiba played dress-up with you? What kind of freaky shit is that?" laughed Honda as he took out a clean rag to wipe his hands off with, "I'm surprised you let him pick out your clothes, even if he is paying you. Huh. At least they look good on you."

He grinned as Jonouchi frowned. "Anyways man, I was hoping to tell you once I saw you again that I, Honda Hiroto, have finally found the girl of my dreams."

"Oh?" Jonouchi's frown transformed into a sly grin, "Which magazine did you find her in?"

"Shut up, she's real. Works at the mall downtown in one of the maid cafes. She's really pretty." Honda shrugged and placed his hands on his hips before his grin spread even wider on his face, "And we've had sex, too."

"Congratulations on becoming an adult," Jonouchi teased. He missed having easy, meaningless conversations like these. "Nah man, I'm really happy for you, though. How long have you been going out?"

"About a month, steady. I knew her already before, though. Her dad came down here to have his ride fixed." Honda's eyes grew big before he started waving his hands across his chest nervously, smiling in his anxious way of his, "I'm not a creeper, though. I just ended up seeing her again and decided to talk to her, so we started hanging out."

Laughing at Honda's antics, Jonouchi picked up a few bolts from the countertop and started juggling them. "Whatever you say, dude. Just be careful that her dad doesn't run you over with the very bike you fixed. So what about her makes her your 'dream girl'?"

"I don't know... I just like her a lot. She's nice and smiles a lot and laughs at my stupid jokes. Isn't that enough?"

Jonouchi rolled around the thought in his mind. Honestly, he didn't really know. He couldn't think of anything particularly special about the girl he'd dated back at the end of high school. She had a pretty face and a large bosom, and she didn't mind that Jonouchi was half-American (she'd had a fascination with several Hollywood stars). She had a small yet safe rebellious streak, sneaking off into clubs in the middle of the night. She was just a normal high school girl, completely different from Mai's glamorous, fast lifestyle.

"I guess if that's what you're looking for," Jonouchi said.

"Are you even looking for anyone right now?" asked Honda before he sighed loudly and threaded his hair with his greasy fingers, "You've been single since forever. What's stopping you? Can't talk to girls, still?"

"Pfft, I think I know more girls now than I ever have, working at KaibaCorp. I dunno, I guess the right one just hasn't come along." Jonouchi certainly hadn't met any girl who could make his heart flutter. Mai had come close, but it had never gone anywhere, remaining as a schoolboy crush that eventually faded into friendship. In all honesty, he never had _really_ tried to pursue anything with her, and Jonouchi had to wonder about that. She was gorgeous and sexy, had a killer body, and they had a lot in common. Why hadn't the interest been stronger?

"Oh really?" Honda laughed before smirking again, "What makes the right girl then for Jonouchi Katsuya?"

"I'll let you know when I find her!" Jonouchi answered, giving Honda a light punch on the shoulder. He was a little troubled to think that he really didn't _have_ an answer to Honda's question.

"Yeah, sure you will..."

"I like surprises, anyway. What's the point in having a whole checklist? You just know when you meet someone, right? It could be any combination of things."

"Sure, Jonouchi," laughed Honda while shaking his head, "Didn't you have a girlfriend after we graduated high school, though? What happened with her?"

Jonouchi hopped down from the countertop, trailing around the garage and randomly examining pieces of equipment. "It just kind of fizzled out. She went off to Tokyo for college, and after her first holiday break, we just stopped seeing each other."

It wasn't quite like that. Jonouchi was purposely failing to explain the details: they had met up during the holidays and had had sex at her parents' apartment while they were gone on a trip. It had been a mortifying experience for Jonouchi. He had been extremely anxious to begin with, so much that he had a difficult time not allowing his nervousness to affect his ability to get aroused. Despite having a pretty girlfriend, too, her naked body just didn't do enough for him, and when it got down to it, Jonouchi lacked the stamina to really please her. He felt bad afterwards, and although they had tried again ("Because it happens to everyone," she had told him) with the aid of some liquid courage, Jonouchi eventually just let the relationship go. It had gotten more complicated than he had felt ready for at the time.

But maybe it was because of something else. Sure, he wasn't in the right place in his life to really be taking dating seriously. He was still just a dumb kid, and he didn't know what he wanted. Yugi had just left to go overseas, and Jonouchi had felt lost for a long time when the group had split up.

Yugi had been his anchor. Now, without anyone to rely on beside himself, Jonouchi felt caught in the tide of the motions. Sometimes Honda tried to help pull him out, but he never had tried hard enough. They were both comfortable at doing nothing, and Jonouchi lacked the confidence to really try pushing for a dueling career on his own. He could admit that much to himself now that things had changed for him.

And now he had Kaiba to consider. Jonouchi would have never bet on how the past few months had ended up. It was just the unlikeliest of possibilities—finally besting Kaiba, landing a professional sponsorship, and then his and Kaiba's whole convoluted relationship. Yes, he'd always wanted Kaiba as a friend, from the very first day he discovered their common love for the game. But after years and years of steadfast rejection, Jonouchi chalked up his whole encounter with Kaiba after that tournament as a fluke. Kaiba had made it clear that Jonouchi's overtures were unwanted, and everything after that was a kind of lighthearted amusement. If Kaiba ever broke down one day and said he'd wanted to be friends, Jonouchi would take it, but things were very different now.

Too complicated.

He wasn't ready to deal with any of it. Men had sex with women—it was just the natural order of things. But Jonouchi couldn't deny that his experience with Kaiba had been vastly different than his experience with a female. He had liked how he felt in the moment, and it had been easy to just let go and get carried away. It wasn't quite comfortable at the beginning (at all), but once it started becoming more pleasurable, it was more intense than having sex with a woman. Especially when Kaiba started jerking him off from behind, and Jonouchi was a little ashamed to realize he liked the lack of control he'd had over the situation. He didn't have to worry about trying to please someone else. Women were difficult...

But that all led back to the question, what did this all mean for him? Jonouchi had been on the receiving end the previous night. And while it was happening, he hadn't minded it—refusal had never even crossed his mind. And that bothered him. Really, _really_ bothered him.

And why on earth would he allow Kaiba, of all the people he knew, to do that to him?

Jonouchi wished things were more simple for him. That he could be like Honda, who easily fell in love with girls because they all were pretty and interesting to him.

"You should go find a new girl, then. Someone at Kaiba Corporation," said Honda as he interrupted Jonouchi from his thoughts. "Maybe if you actually got laid for once in your life, you'd understand how it feels to be in love!"

Honda was ridiculous. Jonouchi made a face at that, rolling his eyes before replying, "If you fall in love with someone just because they let you put your dick in, that says more about you than me, pal."

Becoming flustered, Honda turned all shades of red before he started messing with his hair and his eyes grew huge with embarrassment. "I liked her before we slept together," he blurted angrily, "Sex didn't have everything to do with it, you dummy."

"But I bet it played a major part, right, Honda?"

He only snorted in response. Jonouchi knew he had won that round.

It _would _be like Honda to conflate the two. But Jonouchi knew that sex didn't equal love. He hadn't been in love with his ex-girlfriend when they had tried, and he certainly wasn't in love with Kaiba.

It was a preposterous notion. He didn't really know where his feelings for the man lay. In ways, Jonouchi looked up to Kaiba, but he also looked down on him. On the outside, Kaiba was the pinnacle of success. But Jonouchi knew better. In actuality, Kaiba was just sad. Sad and lonely and full of a slew of mental issues Jonouchi didn't want to touch. Watching Kaiba deteriorate the night before as Jonouchi had hurled insult after insult had been pitiful.

Jonouchi felt guilty about it. He never intended to be so hurtful, but the alcohol mixed with his anger had removed his filter. Every mean thought that had come to mind had spilled out of his mouth, and he hadn't even meant half of it. Jonouchi knew deep down that Mokuba didn't hate his brother—theirs was a bond that transcended the typical sibling relationship, and maybe that was part of their problem. But no one could deny their devotion to each other. Jonouchi had simply wanted to make Kaiba feel as shitty as he had felt, and it had felt good in the moment.

Upon reflection, Jonouchi really didn't even hate Kaiba, even if he still acted like an asshole most of the time. There had been a point in the past where he had, long ago, but Kaiba had changed since then, and so had he. Neither of them had been the best of people. It wasn't like that anymore, and Jonouchi knew it.

He should be the better man and apologize. Jonouchi didn't want Kaiba hating him, especially since Jonouchi would be his employee for the next couple of years, at the very least. They would have to put this behind them—all the animosity and messy emotions. Jonouchi wondered how long it would take to get back to normal.

Jonouchi circled back to Honda's words. If he didn't love Kaiba, but he had enjoyed having sex with him, then what did that mean? He didn't think he was attracted to men—it wasn't like any man had ever turned his eye before.

Although, Jonouchi had to admit, Kaiba was a good-looking guy. He was masculine, even if his face was pretty. Tall, well-muscled, nice eyes. It was no wonder the guy always ended up in celebrity rags as the city's most eligible bachelor. Objectively, Jonouchi could admit this.

So had it just been _because _it was Kaiba, or did Jonouchi…?

No, thinking about it wouldn't lead anywhere good. And it wouldn't _do _any good to continue with those thoughts—not when Jonouchi needed to try to repair things with the man. To get things back to how they were supposed to be.

"Honda, I'm gonna have to get going." They were losing sunlight. The last thing Jonouchi wanted right now was to run into thugs on his way home. Staying out past dark was just asking for trouble. "I'm sorry for not checking in on you like I should have; I'll do better next time, okay?"

"Yeah bud, you better not forget about me or replace me with some upper-class rich jerks!" Honda smiled, but his eyes showed that he meant what he said. They were best friends. Jonouchi planned to always keep it that way.

"Nah, I won't. Everyone at work is so stiff, they aren't as fun as hanging around you. I'll see you around, Honda."

Jonouchi grabbed his bag and left, giving the calico a scratch behind the ears before taking off on his bike. His visit with Honda hadn't really gone as he had intended. While it had been great to catch up and know that his friend was doing well, Honda had raised some questions to which Jonouchi didn't know the answers.

It was extremely troubling. And the worst part was that Jonouchi knew the only way he'd figure out those answers, whether he wanted to or not, would be by seeing Kaiba again. It was only a matter of time.


	16. Chapter 16

Kaiba hadn't realized he'd fallen asleep until he woke the next morning twisted in his brother's sheets. He felt groggy, and his hands were stiff from clutching his phone the entire night. Tossing the phone aside, Kaiba flexed his sore hands, stretching out the tendons and working movement back into his joints. He felt sleep-drunk, but he had finally gotten ahold of Mokuba.

He had, hadn't he? Kaiba bolted upright, rummaging through the sheets for his phone. He couldn't have just dreamed it. Flipping his phone open, Kaiba scrolled through the call logs and sighed. It really had happened. All six minutes and forty-two seconds of it. It had probably been the longest call he'd ever made outside of work—Kaiba didn't even remember clearly what he'd even said outside of a rambling apology.

But his brother was finally coming come—would arrive at Haneda airport the next day.

It didn't give him much time to prepare mentally. Kaiba had finally gotten what he wanted, but it also entailed the brothers working through their problems. And with everything happening with Jonouchi… Kaiba was beginning to second-guess whether adding Mokuba into the whole mix was a good idea.

It was out of his hands. His brother was currently en route, and the little remaining time Kaiba had by himself before his brother's plane touched down was dwindling. He would have to make an attempt, at least, to not look so completely miserable—at least on the outside. Mokuba would more than likely be able to see right through it, but Kaiba's pride wouldn't stand for him looking like a total mess.

Kaiba sighed, rolling onto his back. He couldn't tell what time it was due to Mokuba's blackout curtains, and the kid never kept a functioning alarm clock, anyway. He ruefully snapped his phone open again, squinting painfully at its bright light. It was only quarter-till five in the morning. Kaiba quickly fired off an email to take the day off, powered his phone down, and sighed. Although he'd slept a long time, he didn't feel rested. Maybe knowing that his brother would be back soon would allow him some decent sleep.

Picking himself up off the bed, Kaiba threw the sheets back and stumbled over to his room. Collapsing on his own bed, Kaiba burrowed into the sheets and inhaled deeply. They still smelled like Jonouchi. He closed his eyes and immediately fell back asleep.

* * *

He kept checking his watch. It was ridiculous—the plane wasn't even _late_, but the seconds seemed to stretch on. Kaiba had arrived at the airport early—perhaps _too_ early—and now had to suffer the slow, agonizing wait for his brother's arrival. He could've easily just sent a driver over to pick the kid up, but the closer Mokuba got back to Japan, the more Kaiba found that he wanted to see him.

He'd even taken the day off from work. Three whole days missed—Kaiba was hoping this wasn't becoming a habit. His executive assistant had seemed completely unfazed, bold enough to even mother him a bit about his health, but Kaiba was still apprehensive. He rarely took vacation or sick days, but lately it seemed as though he was cashing in on them all the time. Ever since Jonouchi had re-entered his life, really.

No, Kaiba wasn't going to think about him today. Today would be about his brother.

Kaiba stood at the back of the arrivals crowd, Isono keeping watch behind him. He had almost started to check his watch again when the glass doors separating the waiting area opened, and a steady stream of people came spilling out. The volume in the room picked up suddenly, family members excitedly greeting their relatives and high-pitched shrieks from a large gaggle of teenaged girls and older women trying to get a glimpse of some celebrity.

And just when the anxiety had started to creep up his chest into his throat, Kaiba caught sight of the wild mop of dark hair. It was strange—Mokuba had only been gone a couple of months, but it seemed like he had changed somehow in that short period of time. He looked different, but Kaiba couldn't pinpoint what that difference exactly was—maybe in the way his brother carried himself.

Well, Mokuba _had_ had a birthday while in America. The first birthday they had ever been apart. Kaiba felt a sharp pang in his chest.

"Hey, Seto," Mokuba greeted a tad bit shyly, "I hope you didn't miss me too much while I was away."

Kaiba opened his mouth, but the words wouldn't come out. He approached his brother instead, bending down slightly to wrap him in a tense hug. The kid wasn't that much shorter now than Kaiba—perhaps just an inch under his shoulders. When had he gotten so big? He felt Mokuba still before the embrace was returned. Kaiba broke away after a few seconds, "I'm glad you're back."

"I'm glad, too, Nii-sama," answered Mokuba as he wrapped his arms around Kaiba's chest, "but if you hold me any harder, I might die right here in this terminal."

Kaiba quickly stepped back, running an uneasy hand through his hair. "Is there anywhere you want to go before we head back home?"

"Not really. I'm really tired." Mokuba glanced behind Kaiba's figure, spotting Isono in the background. He waved before looking back up toward his brother. "They fed us on the plane, and it was crappy food, but I really just want to chill out for the rest of the day, if you don't mind.

"Besides, since when do you even like going out and doing stuff?" Mokuba asked jokingly.

"You've been away for a while; I didn't know if there was anything you missed," Kaiba answered, turning towards the exit. Isono immediately filed in by Kaiba's side, taking Mokuba's suitcases from him.

"So did I miss anything while I was gone," Mokuba started, taking long strides to keep up with his older brother's pace, "well, besides the Americans coming over. I'm sure more exciting things have been happening at home, though, right? Something is always going on, at least on your end, since you hate excitement so much."

Kaiba could feel the frown tugging at the edges of his mouth and fought to keep it at bay. He knew he would have to tell Mokuba about Jonouchi eventually, and if he skirted the issue now, it would only make Mokuba mad later. "Jonouchi now works for KaibaCorp."

"Wait, Jonouchi Katsuya?" Mokuba paused for a moment, clearly in disbelief, before he snapped out of it and began walking again. "Why? How? Since when? I thought you wouldn't even allow that to happen, since you, I don't know, _hate _him for no entirely good reason..."

Isono brought the car around, and Kaiba waited to reply until they had both piled into the back seat. "Not for long—just shortly after you left. He's...a much better Duelist than he was before. So I offered him a sponsorship, and he accepted. It's as simple as that."

Or not, but Mokuba didn't need to know about _that_ just yet...

"It's never that simple, but whatever you say, Nii-sama..."

Quieting, Mokuba didn't ask any more questions. Kaiba didn't like being pressured, and they knew each other well enough to sense when to stop pushing the other. He took out his phone to entertain himself, clearly busy texting someone while the car drove back towards Domino City.

"I'm glad you changed your mind about him, though," Mokuba added after a few minutes of silence, "He might be a knucklehead, but Jonouchi deserves a break."

"Hmm…" Kaiba crossed his arms over his chest as he stared out the window, watching the scenery pass by. "He's adapted to corporate life much better than I had anticipated, but he could still use some refining."

"That's not a big deal."

Kaiba never had to really learn how to play Duel Monsters. It had all come naturally to him, like chess had when he had been much younger. Mokuba had known this, along with Kaiba himself. It made it harder for him to sympathize with players like Jonouchi, who struggled through the game and didn't immediately understand all the rules at once.

Mokuba was probably right. It wasn't as big of a deal as he was making it.

When Kaiba looked over again, the kid had passed out. He stared at his brother's face for a long time—Mokuba was beginning to resemble their father. He'd always had—at least more than Kaiba—but now that his face had thinned somewhat (another growth spurt?), his cheekbones were becoming more prominent and the resemblance much more evident. Where his unruly head of hair had come from, Kaiba still didn't have a clue.

They arrived back at the mansion after a short time. Kaiba had had to nudge Mokuba awake, and the latter had allowed himself to be shuffled up to his bedroom, even whining to be tucked in. Kaiba had managed to keep back his amusement at the childish request, but it had made him feel warm, all the same. A warmth he hadn't felt in a very long time.

It was still early in the day, and Mokuba would no doubt be knocked out for the remainder. He had always been more susceptible to jet lag than Kaiba had ever been, needing ample sleep and drifting through the subsequent handful of days largely in a daze. Kaiba sighed, looking down at the sleeping figure of his brother. He had taken the whole day off, but now he didn't know what to do with himself. He honestly didn't like being away from work for so long—idling away his time just wasn't in his nature.

He needed to _do_ something. Kaiba supposed that showing up to work unexpectedly might not be such a bad thing. At the very least, it would keep his workers on their toes. Finding a mischievous pleasure from that thought, Kaiba collected his briefcase from his office (which had since been cleaned and no longer reeked of cheap beer, Kaiba noted) and made his way to the garage.

* * *

Kaiba had just sat down with Eguchi and Nakahara when Jonouchi strolled through the door, distracted.

"Hey Nakahara, can you tell me-" Jonouchi stopped short when he noticed Kaiba and the intern hovering over the executive assistant's desk. "Ah, never mind, I'll just catch you later, since you're busy right now."

Jonouchi did a quick one-eighty, turning heel and strolling right out of the office before any of them could say a word. From what Kaiba could catch of his face before Jonouchi ran off, he looked startled, his eyes widening a little before something in his brain clicked to take off and retreat away.

Again.

Kaiba wasn't going to allow that to happen this time, though. He was of the mind to take on challenges head-on instead of avoiding whatever made him uncomfortable.

"If you'll excuse me, just a moment," Kaiba said to his assistants and promptly marched after Jonouchi. The other had almost made it to the elevators, but Kaiba wasn't about to let him escape so easily. He picked up his stride, catching the doors before they closed. And since that particular elevator led to the executive suite, it would be making no stops for at least fifteen floors.

Leaning against one of the walls of the elevator, Kaiba used his code to override Jonouchi's floor selection, choosing the last floor before the lobby. He crossed his arms against his chest and gave Jonouchi a cool look. "You were running again."

"So you decided to trap me in an elevator? Wow, Kaiba, you really have your social skills down, I see..."

Jonouchi stood away with his arms folded across his chest and scowled at the carpeted floor. His eyes could have bore holes, he looked so angry, but he managed not to blow up like Kaiba would have predicted. Mostly, his body language screamed "uncomfortable." Unfortunately for Jonouchi, though, Kaiba didn't really care about that.

"Tell me then, since when did constant evasion rank highly on proper form?" Kaiba bit back sarcastically. "I wouldn't have to chase you down if you didn't keep running away."

"Take a social cue for once and leave me alone, then."

"I want to talk with you," Kaiba said, his voice softening marginally.

"There's nothing to talk about," Jonouchi replied a bit spitefully, "At least not in this place. I'm at work. And so are _you_."

Kaiba looked away, staring at the monitor in the corner of the elevator as it scrolled through the latest stock reports and weather, not really paying attention. "Then you would be amenable to talking outside of work?" he asked quietly.

Jonouchi sighed loudly, slumping against the wall before looking at his shoes.

"Do I have to?"

"I believe it would be…" What was the word Isono had used? "...prudent," Kaiba finished.

Making a face, Jonouchi clearly didn't understand what that even meant. His face bunched up in a slightly amusing but mostly just irritating way before he turned away to stare at his feet some more.

They grew silent, the floors ticking by. Kaiba knew he didn't have much time before the doors would open and Jonouchi would undoubtedly race off again. "...How much time do you need?"

"For what?" Jonouchi asked.

"Before you're ready to talk about this. I realize you aren't so inclined just yet, but I want an expectation set." Mokuba had closed off communication with Kaiba for _months_. He wasn't willing to go through that kind of treatment again.

"Kaiba, there's nothing to talk about. Why do we need to talk about something that was a drunken mistake? Just leave it alone, already. It's not like we're going to go and let _that _happen again...

"I don't need that kind of drama in my life, okay? I have enough of it thanks to family, without adding you to the mix," sighed Jonouchi, "Not that you'd understand or even care about any of that."

Kaiba could feel his blood pressure rising. Of all people to become involved with, why did he have to go and pick one of the most obstinate? "That's bullshit, Jonouchi—you can't just blame everything on the-"

The elevator dinged, the doors opening as the car came to a stop. Kaiba's mouth snapped shut, his words lost as Jonouchi quickly darted out and away, not even sparing a glance back. He watched Jonouchi retreat until the doors slid closed again, the car entirely still until Kaiba forcefully punched the button back to the executive suite.

He didn't fucking understand Jonouchi at all. Why was he throwing hissy fits over something he had clearly enjoyed and had allowed to happen? He'd fucking encouraged it, and now he wanted to act like it was some colossal mistake—that everything that had happened between them was solely the fault of the alcohol.

That Jonouchi refused to acknowledge anything about it was just so insulting. Kaiba knew it was wrong of him to have cornered Jonouchi like that, but what other option did he have? Jonouchi was back to actively avoiding him, making everything so much worse.

Kaiba could take rejection, if it was honest. If the both of them hadn't enjoyed it, if it hadn't turned into whatever that night had been, and if they both had regretted it after. But Jonouchi didn't seem to reject Kaiba so much as just deny the event entirely.

And that burned at Kaiba more than any rejection could have. Because he'd felt so _much_, and surely Jonouchi would be lying if he'd claimed the opposite.

Throwing himself back into work, Kaiba mulled over the night with Jonouchi, picking it apart and studying it from varying angles, eventually analyzing their interactions all the way back to their first meeting. None of it made sense. But somehow, the two of them always seemed to circle each other, caught in some weird kind of gravitational pull.

By the end of the day, Kaiba had a large stack in his outbox and his thoughts had been consumed by the idiot. He needed to speak to Jonouchi, before he went crazy. Crazier than he already admittedly was.

It was almost six o'clock—Jonouchi would have already left for the day. Perhaps if he caught Jonouchi at home, Kaiba could persuade him into going out for dinner. Or maybe he could be proactive and bring food over. It would be a rather weak peace offering, but Jonouchi was a glutton when the food wasn't on his tab, so maybe it would work.

Pulling up along the alley behind Jonouchi's apartment building, Kaiba breathed in deeply before he grabbed the bag of takeout and locked the doors. He climbed the stairs to Jonouchi's floor warily, careful not to touch the rusting railing. He almost tripped over the uneven cement steps, and silently cursing, Kaiba made his way through the dim open hallway, until he was face-to-face with the door to Jonouchi's apartment. His stomach did little flips as he raised his hand to knock.

Three sharp raps, and then waiting. The flips in his stomach increased.

Jonouchi opened the door, the chain still attached as he peeked through. His face fell, eyes creasing before finally speaking through the crack. Unlike how Kaiba had predicted, Jonouchi didn't immediately invite him inside.

"What are you doing here? Stalking me now? God, Kaiba, you are a freak..."

Ignoring Jonouchi's snide commentary, Kaiba held up the bag in front of him. "I brought food; can we talk?"

Pausing, Jonouchi stared at the bag, seemingly distracted. "What kind of food did you bring to bribe me with?"

"Katsudon—I thought it would probably travel better than other foods…" It wasn't something Kaiba normally ate, but it was filling and he hadn't eaten all day. "Are you going to let me in, or am I just going to stand here while the food gets cold?"

"Okay fine, just wait a minute."

Jonouchi unchained the lock and opened the door while moving out of the way, his eyes immediately trailing towards the floor as Kaiba stepped through the doorway. Once he was clear, Jonouchi quickly closed and locked the door again, pausing once the dead bolt had clicked and resting his forehead against the wood as he groaned aloud.

"What?" Kaiba said as he stepped out of his shoes and set them aside. He chanced a glance around while Jonouchi recovered from whatever mental hardship he was experiencing. The place was small but surprisingly clean. The kitchen—if it would really be called that—was tiny, with a medium-sized refrigerator and a two-burner stove. Beyond it was what Kaiba assumed to be the living room, which was empty save for an ancient television set propped atop milk crates, a sofa that had surely seen better days, and a small wooden coffee table. A door to the left, and then two doors to the right, all shut tightly, one on the right having a large split along the edge, arcing outward.

"I never thought for a million years you'd just show up here like this, in the bad side of town," mumbled Jonouchi, "You're more crazy than I first thought."

Begrudgingly, he put himself to work getting tea ready, although it wasn't the good kind Kaiba was used to. It was cheap and the taste wasn't as strong, and Jonouchi apparently didn't care since it was probably all he could afford for the longest time. He didn't say anything as he got the kettle to boiling, pulling out two pairs of chopsticks from his utensil drawer and balancing them atop the hot cups before finally joining Kaiba to sit across from him on the floor.

"I'm not accustomed to having money yet," spoke Jonouchi as he brought his cup up to his mouth, "You don't have to drink it if you don't like the taste."

"It's fine," Kaiba said as he emptied the bag, placing the bowls between them and uncovering them. The steam was visible as it wafted up and away. "They didn't serve gourmet at the orphanage."

Jonouchi said nothing in response. His eyes just went downcast as he started fiddling with his food.

They sat in heavy silence, Jonouchi stabbing at his rice with his chopsticks while Kaiba blew at his tea. The uncomfortable feeling in his stomach had never gone away.

"You don't have to keep avoiding me, you know."

"Yeah, and why shouldn't I? You avoided having anything to do with me for years, Kaiba..."

Shoveling food into his mouth, Jonouchi only briefly looked up at Kaiba's face before glancing back down again. His eyes were dark yet still warm, the color something like hazel but not quite.

Kaiba sighed, picking up his own bowl and swirling the food around with his chopsticks. "I don't want the next two years to be like this, Jonouchi. At the very least, I would like it if we could be civil...or even friendly...with each other." He quickly turned his gaze down, staring at his food.

"Okay, fine. Talk away. I'm listening..."

"The other night happened. I don't think either of us can ignore that fact," Kaiba began as he bit into a chunk of pork, chewing slowly. "And I don't think either of us can say that we didn't like it, either."

Jonouchi snorted. "So?" He ate more slowly than Kaiba, picking at his food more so than actually eating it. Maybe it was nerves. It was clear to Kaiba, from where he was sitting, that the blond was in no way, shape, or form relaxed sitting in the living room with him there.

"You tell me, Jonouchi. I stopped. Why did you let it continue if it would bother you so much after?"

Pausing for a moment, Jonouchi turned his gaze away before speaking up again. "I don't know," he began, shaking his head and dumping his chin into the palm of his hand, "I was drunk. It felt good at the time. I wasn't thinking clearly. I don't have a great track record at decision-making, you know.

"And I didn't really mean half of those ugly things I said to you. I was just really, really angry..."

Kaiba picked up his teacup, its contents finally cool enough to drink. "I still don't know why you were in my office to begin with that night…"

"I needed to get out of this place. Yours was the first thing that came to mind..."

"That doesn't make any sense," Kaiba reasoned, the tea acrid against his tongue. "You've claimed not to like me, yet you came to my residence instead of going to a friend's?"

"I'm not a logical person, Kaiba. There was no sense in any of it. You pissed me off at the photoshoot; I felt lost when I got home. My dad left a bunch of booze here, so I decided to get drunk at your place and start a fight with you. I didn't think it would end up with us sleeping together... Are you actually complaining over it?" snorted Jonouchi, "You got the better deal than I did."

Kaiba snorted, unable to contain his reaction. He jabbed at his food with more force than necessary. "You were hardly complaining while it was happening. And if I recall correctly, you were the one undressing _me_ first." His thoughts raced back to Jonouchi's hands running across his chest—it had felt like fire.

"Whatever. You weren't the one waking up in the morning feeling like someone had rammed a rod up their ass... Did you want to talk to me or just continue going on with this patronizing bullshit of yours?"

Setting aside his bowl of half-eaten katsudon, Kaiba stared at Jonouchi, wondering just what it was about the other man that he felt drawn to. They weren't going anywhere with this talk, and Jonouchi was just growing more defensive by the minute. "Fine. I'll be honest, then. I felt something that night, but if it really meant nothing to you, then there's no reason why we can't act like adults. You don't have to play this avoidance game. Things are a little weird now, but it'll pass. It's not like I'm some predator, so you can stop looking like a deer trapped in headlights every time we run into each other. But things as they are now just aren't working."

Kaiba knew he was lying to himself—he didn't want things to return to normal between them, but normal would be better than the cold, distant treatment he was currently getting.

"Is that all you want, then?" asked Jonouchi tentatively, his eyes lifting up finally and actually looking Kaiba in the eyes longer than three seconds before glancing away again, "I can try to ignore the awkwardness."

"Yes," Kaiba replied, swallowing the lump in his throat. "It will be a long two years if things continue down the same path we're on."

"Yeah," Jonouchi agreed, "I don't need anymore complications in my life, anyways..."

"I don't...hate you, Jonouchi," Kaiba said, reaching for his tea and surprised at the truth of the words.

"Well good," laughed Jonouchi as he fought back a small smile, "because I don't hate you, either. Not since a long time ago. Are we done talking now? I'm starved, I can't do two things at once—I need to allow myself to feed!"

"Mm," Kaiba murmured as he picked his own food back up again. He watched as Jonouchi scarfed down his dinner enthusiastically, his demeanor drastically more relaxed since Kaiba had arrived. They ate in an easy silence, and Kaiba tried to ignore the steadily-growing stabbing feeling in his chest. "Do you want to hang out sometime? I have a media room at the mansion; you don't have to hole up in my office the next time you want someplace to go."

Jonouchi paused for a moment, mouth full of food before he swallowed. At first he looked apprehensive over the question, but it quickly melted away, "Sure, I guess. I wouldn't mind seeing more of your place. I've always been curious to look around, you know? It's like the size of my apartment complex, if not larger."

"Too big, sometimes," Kaiba allowed himself to laugh a little. "I don't have any work this weekend. Mokuba's home, but I suspect he'll want to catch up with his school friends. He'll be passed out until the weekend, anyway…"

"Okay," agreed Jonouchi, "We can try this whole hanging-out deal and not being too awkward plan, then. I'd like that."

It was all that Kaiba could really ask for, or even hope, at the moment. Nodding, Kaiba finished his tea—now completely cold. His stomach had never stopped flipping.

* * *

That very weekend, Jonouchi ended up showing up at the door unannounced. The staff had allowed him in, so it came as a complete surprise to Kaiba when he crossed one of the hallways and found Jonouchi settled on the floor of the entertainment center playing a video game with his attention completely attuned to the character on the screen. His eyes never left as he pressed the buttons quickly, defeating enemies and cursing each time he took a hit.

Kaiba thought he would have called first, or at least said he was coming. It was late afternoon, and while he had given an open invitation, it would have been at least polite to ask...

But Jonouchi had never been polite, unless forced. It probably hadn't occurred to him to say anything.

Leaning against the door frame, Kaiba crossed his arms and smirked. "So, when were you going to tell me you were here?" He watched as Jonouchi's character suddenly stilled mid-battle.

"I didn't think we were going to suddenly become video game buddies just because you don't mind me crashing here," replied Jonouchi nonchalantly, "Besides, I'm not good at playing two-player."

"I believe the very definition of 'hanging out' involves spending time together," Kaiba drawled. He didn't mind Jonouchi being over—he'd suggested the whole matter, after all—but his house wasn't some public arcade. "Try using fire on that one."

"I wasn't asking for your input, Kaiba."

Jonouchi completely blew off Kaiba's advice, killing his character in the process and cursing afterward. It was clear that help was not appreciated. Kaiba should have known as much. Jonouchi had always had a stubborn streak and probably wanted to figure out _Skyrim _on his own. Any offers for assistance would not be appreciated.

"And I can't believe you're pouting because I didn't call you before showing up," Jonouchi added, sneaking a look over his shoulder and snorting before turning his attention back towards the giant television screen, "I know you said you wanted to spend time together so we could be civil towards each other, but I never thought Kaiba Seto of all people would actually suggest hanging out with one of the peasants..."

Rolling his eyes even though Jonouchi couldn't see it, Kaiba countered, "I'm not pouting; it's just basic manners. This is my house, after all—I do like to know who's lurking around it."

"Well, it's me. Surprise."

Jonouchi completely turned his attention back to the video game, not commenting anymore after that.

Kaiba watched Jonouchi's character regenerate once again before he left to collect his laptop and a file folder of documents. Just because it was the weekend didn't mean he still didn't have work to complete. He returned in a matter of minutes, ignoring Jonouchi's griping when he crossed in front of the TV to settle on the couch at Jonouchi's back. Lifting the screen, the sound of keystrokes soon joined with Jonouchi's button-mashing.

Jonouchi hadn't even bothered creating a new character, instead loading one of Kaiba's saves. "Try not to fuck up my character's stats too much."

"Calm down, big guy, I'm not going to even save the game. I just want to experiment."

Shrugging his shoulders and snorting, Jonouchi was clearly blowing off Kaiba's attempts at backseat driving again. He purposely tuned Kaiba out as he continued playing, leading his character astray and nearly getting killed half a dozen times before getting caught up in a fight with a dragon and losing his horse to the attack. Cursing, Jonouchi eventually figured out what to do, but his character had to walk through the woods on foot without a ride.

"Ugh, what a pain in the ass..."

He was also impatient and wouldn't use his stealth abilities properly. Jonouchi seemed like more of a fan of hack-and-slash methods instead of using his archery capabilities like someone who wanted to survive. It was mildly irritating to watch.

"Jonouchi, there's a whole arsenal of items and equipment other than that sword. Open the menu and use something else."

"I would if I wanted to, so shut it."

The room carried a steady soundtrack of rumblings and shrieks, and eventually guttural grunts as Jonouchi would progress and then die. Kaiba tried to tune it out as he paged through spreadsheets and progress reports, but when Jonouchi started to roll around the floor in aggravation, it started to be too much for Kaiba.

Jonouchi was stuck in a temple, getting pummeled by one of the dragon priests. None of his tactics were working (although, Kaiba noted with a dark sense of glee, Jonouchi _had_ resorted to switching out weapons and trying out a few items from his stock), and Jonouchi was already on his twelfth attempt.

Kaiba decided enough was enough when he found he'd read the same paragraph three times. "Here, give me that," he said as he shoved his laptop to the side.

"What? No, dude, I'll figure it out by myself-"

But before Jonouchi could finish, Kaiba snatched it from his hands and sat down next to him, completely concentrated on the game. Jonouchi scowled at him as Kaiba cleared through the boss monster, and after a few tense moments of brooding, he nearly leapt from his spot and jumped across Kaiba's lap, grabbing his controller back.

The controller tumbled from Kaiba's hands as Jonouchi's covered his. The contact, although small and fleeting, sent a jolting rush throughout Kaiba's body. His arms prickled, and he suddenly felt warm. And then a split-second later, Jonouchi's whole torso crashed into Kaiba as the momentum continued to pull him forward. Kaiba stared dumbly at the upended controller, frozen in place as Jonouchi scrambled to right himself.

He was heavy. Heavy and warm, and the familiar smell made Kaiba think back to-

No. No, no, _no_—not now. Finding his brain, Kaiba pushed away and backward. He couldn't put _too_ much distance between them, lest Jonouchi pick up on Kaiba's momentary panic and get all weird again.

It took Kaiba a moment to find his voice again. "You're supposed to kill the things on the screen, not my game system. Or me, for that matter," he said, brushing his pants.

"Stop being such a girl about it," Jonouchi snipped back. He looked at Kaiba before reaching over him again, this time slowly, watching his reaction. Leaning over very carefully, he didn't touch Kaiba this time while retrieving the controller, and he shoved Kaiba hard with his shoulder once he had his balance back, as if trying to gain some lost dignity through throwing his weight around.

Jonouchi had always been a tactile person. He roughhoused with Honda and Yugi all the time throughout high school, nearly knocking them over with his excitement. Kaiba wasn't ready for that, at all. If he was at all honest with himself, he knew he wasn't capable of handling that kind of contact with Jonouchi, rough or otherwise.

Not after having sex with him.

Kaiba snorted, getting up from the floor and tucking himself back into the corner of the couch. He pulled his long legs up underneath him, reclaiming his laptop and getting back to his business.

"What, did I get your panties in a bunch now?" snickered Jonouchi as he turned around to peer at Kaiba.

Kaiba ignored the bait, slapping his folder thick with papers down on the cushion right next to Jonouchi's ear. Civil. They were trying to be civil to each other. "No, but that boss certainly had yours," he replied flatly.

"Oh whatever, I would have been fine before you decided to hijack my controller from me," responded Jonouchi a tad heatedly, "You're as bad as Honda, you know that. And a better player, but still. It's annoying. You don't just go and mess with another man's game."

Kaiba looked up pointedly from his screen, his fingers pausing on the keys, "Says the man who's playing on another man's save."

"That I'm not planning on saving, so there."

Eyebrows furrowing and face becoming strained from frustration, Jonouchi looked irritated and slightly tense. His whole body was rigid, his shoulders slumped and his legs crossed as he continued to sit on the floor and play, now in silence. He didn't speak for a while, just button-crushing as his game improved from actually using Kaiba's little pointers.

He didn't seem too happy about it, though. At one point, Kaiba saw Jonouchi biting his lip hard enough that he thought he'd make himself bleed.

"I have other games," Kaiba said as he rattled away on his laptop.

"I like this one."

"You're about to chew your lip off," Kaiba continued, his typing never faltering.

"Stop staring at my mouth, then, weirdo," Jonouchi shot back.

"If you haven't noticed, I'm quite occupied by my own screen. That was a simple, brief observation." It was getting to the point where Kaiba didn't even need to stare to detect such small behaviors. He was always overly observant, but now with Jonouchi, Kaiba found himself becoming hyper-aware of the other's actions: small fluctuations were like alarm bells on his internal radar.

He didn't know what to make of that.

They continued in silence again, until loud stomping sounded down the hallway. "Hey Nii-sama, is it okay if-" Mokuba bounded into the room, stopping mid-stride when he noticed that the room was occupied by more than just his brother. "Oh. I didn't know Jonouchi was over," Mokuba said slowly, raising an eyebrow at the two men.

"Don't worry, your brother didn't know I was over, either," added Jonouchi as he continued button-mashing, "I like showing up at places unannounced; it's part of my charm."

"Is that how you're marketing it now?" Mokuba said with a laugh. "I didn't know you guys...hung out," he continued, looking from Kaiba to Jonouchi and back again. The bewilderment was evident on his face.

"Kaiba was the one who suggested it, not me."

It was just like Jonouchi to just throw Kaiba under the bus, so to speak. Still hunched over on the floor with his game controller, he briefly glanced at Kaiba from the corner of his eyes before turning back to the screen. Kaiba felt his skin prickle again when his eyes caught that glint of amber before Jonouchi turned quickly away. He scooted minutely deeper into the couch.

Mokuba's tone was incredulous, "I have a hard enough time getting Nii-sama to do _anything_ non-work related, and in three months' time, you have him _suggesting_ to hang out? Wow, I'm not sure if I should thank you, Jonouchi, or feel somewhat cheated…" His eyes narrowed slightly as they focused on Kaiba, looking him up and down before settling on Jonouchi again.

"What did you want, Mokuba?" Kaiba said, keeping his eyes focused on his laptop screen.

Snapping out of his suspicious glare, Mokuba announced, "I'm going out tonight. Probably won't be back until late, so don't wait up, okay?"

Kaiba flicked his gaze up to rest on his brother. "Who are you going out with?"

"My_ friends_," Mokuba answered back. "I'll have my phone on me, don't worry." He shook his head before walking halfway out the door, "Don't have too much fun while I'm gone, Nii-sama."

He took off after that, not waiting for approval. Apparently he was giving it to himself these days. Asking was more of a courtesy than him asking for actual permission. Kaiba wasn't sure what to think of that. Mokuba was smarter, older, and wiser, but he was also still a teenager.

"-Too much fun doing office work, I don't see any threat of that happening tonight," Jonouchi mumbled under his breath just coherently enough that Kaiba could make him out from the couch.

"Don't criticize me for being productive. You said you don't do two-player games," Kaiba said, paging through a rather large report.

"Most normal people don't resort to work after hours, especially while under the age of thirty," replied Jonouchi cooly, "You could do like most young people do and just surf the internet and play games on there or something..."

Kaiba sighed, twisting around to stretch out across the couch, propping his head against an arm. "And most normal people aren't CEOs… I don't really have the luxury for shit like that." He flipped a page, creasing it along the staple before finally tossing the report aside. His eyes hurt.

"You thought it would be fun to hang out with me while looking over work, then? God, you can be so dull for someone so cool," said Jonouchi as he rolled his eyes dramatically, "or so I thought. I used to think you were hip, but now you're like some forty-year-old stuck in a young man's body."

"Sorry to break your illusion," Kaiba said with a hint of sarcasm as he ran a hand down his face. "You don't want to play video games together, so what do _you _suggest we do?"

"We can braid each other's hair, for starters," replied Jonouchi sarcastically, "and then when we're done, we'll paint each other's nails blue."

"What makes you think I'd like blue," Kaiba deadpanned. He knew Jonouchi was just trying to be an ass, but he didn't really feel keen on getting into an argument.

"Because it'll match your eyes so well," snickered Jonouchi. He was progressing in the game, finally. Kaiba couldn't tell if he was just bad at it or not really trying to begin with. Now he was killing enemies left and right and finally figured out the finer points of using a bow to kill his enemies instead of running into them head on. At least he was learning something...

"Whatever." Rolling onto his side and facing the back on the couch, Kaiba closed his eyes. He was beginning to feel tired, and Jonouchi was being contrary just for the sake of it.

It's not like Kaiba actively tried being cool or dull. He'd inherited and expanded a large, multibillion-yen corporation. It didn't just run itself. What kind of life did Jonouchi really expect him to have?

"I'll paint your toes, too, if you'd like," added Jonouchi after a few seconds of silence, winking when Kaiba looked up at him.

"I think I'll pass," Kaiba replied lazily, "I don't want to have to return the favor."

Kaiba awoke hours later, the room strangely silent. Dark shadows spilled across the walls, the room only lit by the abandoned television screen. He looked down and noticed Jonouchi passed out on the floor, curled up and snoring.

They hadn't ended up doing anything together, really, and Kaiba almost felt slightly upset at the realization. Although, he supposed it was somewhat of a success—albeit minor—that they'd both spent the majority of the day cooped up in the same room, and nothing of note had transpired. No fights, no misguided moments of passion.

Something like the return of normalcy.

Kaiba stared at Jonouchi's sleeping figure—hair tousled, arms balled up—for a while before turning back over on the couch and falling back asleep.


	17. Chapter 17

Kaiba didn't want to wake up, but he was cold and his left arm was asleep. He groaned as he picked himself up into a sitting position, shaking out his arm and rubbing his functional one against his eyes. Both the television and the PlayStation had timed out during the night, and the room was quiet, save for the short, lilting snores emerging from the floor.

Jonouchi was sprawled on his back, limbs askew. He was still deep in sleep, and although it wasn't yet late in the morning, it was past the time Kaiba's internal clock normally awoke him. Stretching his cramped limbs, Kaiba shifted over to the corner of the couch and stared down at Jonouchi. His face was peaceful in sleep and didn't have that scrunched-up look he normally wore around Kaiba. Since his hair was normally wild, sleeping on the floor hadn't done much to it, although Kaiba noted that it was getting long again. Jonouchi's shirt had ridden up during the night, exposing a triangle of tanned skin and the top edge of the waistband of his boxers. The urge to tug the shirt down or to pull it off entirely nagged at Kaiba with equal intensity.

He didn't completely understand the attraction. Physically, Kaiba acknowledged that he found Jonouchi desirable. Jonouchi was muscular yet lithe, not quite having an athlete's body, but one that was strong from years of hard work and fighting. Kaiba liked how Jonouchi's light hair contrasted with the darkened tone of his skin, and how his eyes weren't quite brown but had traces of rust and gold. But past that, Kaiba was at a loss. They didn't get along easily: being in each others' presence took considerable effort, and more often than not, they would needle at each other until one walked away feeling insulted or aggravated.

But when they did get along, it was great. Jonouchi was a mystery who continually surprised Kaiba, and the fact that Jonouchi was a largely unpredictable force made him interesting. And Kaiba had to admit, people with those qualities were few and far in between for him. As frustrating as it was for his need for control, life with Jonouchi helped to at least kill the monotony. And although his lower-class upbringing surfaced a little too much for Kaiba's liking, Jonouchi had a natural charm that most people found likable.

They could have been easy friends, if Kaiba had allowed it from the start. If his heart and mind hadn't been so clouded by hatred. Maybe things wouldn't have gone so wrongly between them; maybe things would have ended up vastly different. But letting people in didn't come easily for Kaiba: he repelled others like second nature, kept his heart locked away by an impenetrable force field. So why did it hurt so much whenever they were close?

Scowling, Kaiba shook his head and ran both hands through his hair, trying to straighten it in place. He was only wasting his day away by sitting by himself, deliberating things he couldn't change. Scooting to the edge of the couch cushion, Kaiba leaned down and grasped Jonouchi's arm, giving it a light shake. "Hey. It's time to wake up."

"Go away Tou-san, you're drunk..." mumbled Jonouchi as he rolled away in half awareness.

Kaiba rolled his eyes. Jonouchi had rotated away to where he couldn't reach him, and so Kaiba moved over, crouching down next to the blond's prone form. He grasped onto Jonouchi's shoulder this time and shook. "Get up already, lazy."

As a reflex, Jonouchi snapped his arm back, nearly knocking Kaiba to the floor as his eyes shot open and looked around, becoming disoriented when he found his employer too close to his face.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in a broken voice. Fluttering his eyes a few times, Jonouchi hunched over and wiped at his eyes before opening them again, finally coming to complete awareness. "I didn't mean to pass out here last night. What time is it, anyways?"

"It's almost nine," Kaiba snorted as he edged away. "Do you always wake so violently?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"When people start touching me before I'm actually awake, yeah." Jonouchi snorted, failing to comb down his hair with his hands. "Maybe you shouldn't try grabbing me first thing in the morning, genius."

"How else am I supposed to get you awake—bang a freaking gong?" Kaiba said. It was ridiculous: Jonouchi was typically the touchy-feely one, and now he was getting all twisted from Kaiba's hand making contact with his arm?

"Sure, if you got one," Jonouchi answered back sarcastically.

He shifted until he was sitting on the floor, adjusting his clothes and turning off the electronics before he got up and left the room. The idiot probably didn't even know where he was going. It wasn't like Kaiba had ever given him a full tour of the mansion, and Jonouchi didn't get enough off-leash time to have ventured enough to have the place down to memory.

"Where are you going?" Kaiba asked, scrambling to catch up. He could feel his face burning. Probably from indignation, he told himself.

"To find some food in this place, I'm hungry."

"Then you're going the wrong way," Kaiba began, "the kitchen's over here." He turned, knowing Jonouchi would follow—there was little in the world that would keep him from food. "What makes you think I'd automatically feed you, anyway?"

"That's what a good host does, don't you know," responded Jonouchi with a laugh, "It's not like you can't afford it. I won't even eat that much, promise. I just need something to tide me over until I get back home."

Kaiba stole a look to his side before quickly looking forward again, speeding up his pace. "If you're going to eat, you might as well just eat. I'm sure the kitchen staff made more than enough, now that Mokuba and his huge appetite are back." It was true—Mokuba could probably match the amount of food Jonouchi could fork down, and it wasn't like Kaiba himself ate all that much.

The smell of cooked food grew stronger as they got closer to the kitchen. Bypassing it for the dining room, Kaiba arrived at a table full of platters, his brother already digging in. As expected, there was a whole assortment of food, all Western dishes: bacon and sausage links, blueberry pancakes, fried eggs, syrup, thick slices of toast, and fruit. Kaiba gave Mokuba an amused look before settling across from him; Kaiba never favored sitting at the head of the table—he had to do enough of that at work. "I see you brought home a taste for American breakfasts," he said, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Yeah, rice and fish gets so boring after a while, Nii-sama," said Mokuba between forkfuls of food, "I'll get over my cravings eventually. Now, if only I could get the burritos like they had back in California. That would be awesome."

Jonouchi looked slightly uncomfortable, stuck between the two brothers. He grabbed a plateful of food and sat a few seats away from Kaiba, withdrawing from the situation.

Mokuba looked over at Jonouchi, giving Kaiba a quizzical look. Kaiba merely shrugged his shoulders, reaching for a piece of toast and the bowl of fruit. "Hey Jonouchi, what're you doing all the way over there? Come sit with us," Mokuba said.

"Yes, what kind of host would I be if I allowed my guest to sit in exile," Kaiba drawled. His house wasn't some cafeteria; if Jonouchi wanted to eat, he'd have to stomach sitting with the rest of them.

"I don't want to get in the way of your little family time," said Jonouchi as he quickly polished off his plate. He didn't seem willing to move. Mokuba pointing out his distance only seemed to distress him more, and Kaiba rolled his eyes as he sighed.

"Don't make us come over to you!" Mokuba snickered, holding onto the sides of his plate.

"Mokuba, don't," Kaiba sighed. "If Jonouchi wants to eat by himself, just let him." It was irritating and a little insulting, but Jonouchi seemed to be in a mood, so what else could he do?

"I don't get it," Mokuba huffed, setting his plate back down. "You guys hung out all night, but now you can't even eat breakfast together? I can leave, if that's the problem…"

Jonouchi made a noise that sounded like a mix of a sigh and aggravation before getting up from the table. He was already done. No one could shovel food into their mouths as quickly as he could, and Kaiba was a little astonished that he'd forgotten how mannerless Jonouchi could be if he wasn't forced into behaving for the sake of keeping up appearances.

"I'm already done," Jonouchi replied as he pushed the chair back under the table, "Thanks for the breakfast, but I've overstayed my welcome. I gotta get going; it wasn't my plan to pass out here while playing video games." He turned his gaze towards Mokuba, who looked confused. "I'll see you around, kid—later."

Then he nearly took off out of the room, bolting towards the exit.

"What's his problem?" Mokuba nearly pouted. "You guys get into another fight or something?"

"No," Kaiba said as he chewed on his toast slowly.

"So what's the deal, anyway," Mokuba continued as he speared a piece of sausage. "You didn't tell me that you two had gotten friendly while I was away, to the point of hanging out…"

"We decided it would be easier to work together if we tried to put aside our animosity," Kaiba explained. It wasn't the full truth, but Mokuba didn't need to know the details of his relationship with Jonouchi. Kaiba himself didn't even completely understand what was going on between him and the other man.

"That doesn't answer the question of why you two are having sleepovers together all of a sudden," laughed Mokuba. He did so in a somewhat knowing manner that made Kaiba grind his teeth. His little brother wasn't ignorant. He knew a lot of things about Kaiba that almost no one else did.

"It wasn't on purpose," Kaiba countered smoothly as he prepared a slice of toast, "Jonouchi fell asleep on the floor by accident."

"You let him fall asleep here, Nii-sama. Usually you're not so charitable."

"It's not charity," Kaiba replied a bit sharply, "it's convenience. I was too tired myself to deal with it. Besides, don't you have your own social life to worry about instead of mine?"

"I find this new development of yours much more compelling," Mokuba grinned. "But I can tell you don't want to talk about it, so I'll let it slide this time. I'll find out eventually!"

Kaiba just sighed in response, picking at his food as he watched his brother decimate the plates in front of him. He normally didn't hide things from Mokuba, and it wasn't like his brother cared much about his inclinations, either. Kaiba had never kept that fact a secret, and Mokuba had readily accepted it at face-value. But Jonouchi was different. They had a history, one that was rapidly changing into something Kaiba didn't have the definition for. They'd slept together once, but what did that _mean_, if anything at all? Kaiba wasn't sure if he wanted it to mean anything.

But it wasn't like he had much of a choice in that matter.

He certainly wouldn't turn down the offer of sex again if it ever came up, but Kaiba doubted that possibility would ever return to him. Jonouchi seemed put-off by any kind of bodily contact with Kaiba, and while he couldn't help but feel a little insulted by that, he also knew it was probably because Jonouchi was conflicted. He'd said before that he wasn't gay, yet he had participated in having penetrative sex with another man. Something wasn't quite right there with him.

Nothing Kaiba could do about it, though. Jonouchi would continue to live in blissful denial if that was what he wanted to do. Kaiba couldn't make him re-examine himself. It would probably be a useless thing to do, anyways. Just cause more grief, if anything else...

Redirecting the conversation onto Mokuba, Kaiba gave up on his ruminations. The brothers finished their breakfast, and Mokuba scampered off soon after, leaving Kaiba to deal with the rest of his day in relative peace. He still had work to finish up before the new work week began, and dissecting his and Jonouchi's...whatever it was—wouldn't do anything but hinder that work getting done.

Retreating to his office, Kaiba shut the door and ignored the pervasive thoughts that refused to leave his head.

* * *

Slowly but steadily, Jonouchi was getting used to the corporate lunches he was required to attend from time to time. Usually the food was good, and while he had to really strive not to overindulge or eat too quickly than what was socially acceptable, Jonouchi did enjoy the change up in environments. Kaiba Corporation, even with its youthful image and legions of fresh-out-of-college twenty-something-year-old business graduates, was still stiff and formal in a way that Jonouchi couldn't fully adapt to.

He still felt strange walking through the hallways. Usually he was the only person not wearing a suit and tie. It felt weird, even though he wasn't required to dress that way.

Besides, he never knew what to say or do around the business staff. They seemed a world apart, speaking a language he didn't quite understand. Sitting at the table, Jonouchi made it a habit to just keep quiet and not say anything unless spoken to first. His answers were always quick and short, not really getting into any kind of detail to avoid tripping himself up. Most people didn't talk to him, anyway.

Eyeing the clock, Jonouchi counted down the minutes until he would be done with the meeting and dragged away to the subsequent lunch. His face had finally healed to the point where the makeup team could cover the remainder of the bruise up, and the Marketing division had finally rearranged their product campaign into a workable schedule. Since everything was starting to realign, they had requested Jonouchi's attendance so that they could explain their strategy and lock down pertinent dates. Jonouchi had a sneaking suspicion that it was merely a masked warning for "don't fuck your face up again until after these dates," but after all the trouble he'd put them through, Jonouchi couldn't exactly blame them, either.

"Are we finished here?" Kaiba's voice disrupted him from his reverie.

"Yes, Kaiba-sama, that's all we have to go over for today," the project manager, a young woman in her late twenties, replied. Thinking back to his conversation with Honda from the previous week, Jonouchi glanced over her inconspicuously. She was pretty in a delicate way, with long, straight black hair and large brown eyes. Almost doll-like. If Honda had seen her, he'd surely be enchanted. But Jonouchi remained apathetic. It wasn't like he had a particular "type," so what was wrong with him?

"Jonouchi."

He was shaken from his thoughts yet again by the sound of his name coming from right next to him. Looking around, Jonouchi was surprised to see that the room had been cleared, and only he and Kaiba remained. "Yeah?"

"Do you have any lunch plans?" Kaiba asked as he tapped a stack of reports against the table.

"Um, I thought there was one with the Industrial Illusions reps after this?"

Kaiba looked over at him with a small frown. "It was canceled this morning. You didn't get the email?"

"I didn't check," Jonouchi admitted with a sheepish grin. "So I guess, no, I don't have any plans…?"

"Maybe I'll have to get you a fancy phone after all," Kaiba smirked, "At least that way, you'll have no excuse." Sliding the files into his briefcase, Kaiba snapped it shut and stood. "What would you say to...having lunch with me?" Kaiba didn't meet his eyes when he said it, and Jonouchi thought he almost looked...uncomfortable? It was sort of strange, but then again, this whole "let's be friends" thing was still new to the both of them.

The words "Do I have to?" rang in Jonouchi's mind for a moment, but he had enough tact not to actually say that out loud. He didn't know why the prospect of being taken out made him so uncomfortable. It wasn't like he'd never eaten with Kaiba before. They'd shared meals together many times, but for some reason, the way Kaiba asked just set Jonouchi on edge a little.

"Did you need to go over something with me?" Jonouchi asked as his eyebrows raised a little, "I thought I got told about everything...except for that lunch cancellation."

That was probably a blessing in disguise. Jonouchi couldn't see Kaiba dealing with Industrial Illusions working out so well, but maybe Kaiba didn't hold so much of a grudge, since Pegasus was dead.

"I was hoping to follow up on some related matters that weren't addressed in this meeting," Kaiba replied, his normal authoritative tone returning.

"Oh. Well, in that case, yeah, I'd like some lunch. Where exactly are we going to go, then? I liked the sushi bar you took the Koreans last week, that was cool."

Kaiba began walking towards the door. "How about something a little less formal. I haven't had curry in quite a while."

Jonouchi felt himself become overwhelmed with excitement. He loved curry. If his father wasn't around to steal his groceries so much, he'd make it all the time. Curry anything was great: pork, chicken, beef, whatever—although breaded deep-fried pork cutlets were probably some of his favorite alongside pork belly. He could eat platefuls if the opportunity ever presented itself.

"That sounds even better, actually."

"Good, I have just the place in mind," Kaiba replied as they descended down the elevator to the garage. "It's not that far away, but driving is faster." Opening the doors to his sports car, Kaiba tossed his briefcase in the back seat and climbed in. The car roared to life. Jonouchi hesitated before finally climbing into the passenger seat, quickly buckling his seatbelt and threading his hands together in his lap.

They drove in a rather heavy silence, but Jonouchi thought that maybe it was all in his head. Kaiba didn't appear uneasy, so he could just be over-thinking things, as usual. But the memories Jonouchi had from the last time being in this car were ones he wasn't eager to revisit.

It made him shift uncomfortably in his seat as he stared out of the window. Didn't help that the entire car smelled like Kaiba's fancy cologne, and Jonouchi could feel his palms start to sweat. Wringing his hands, he tried shoving the memory to the back of his mind while wishing he could distract himself by the sight of people passing by instead of the steady, quiet sounds of Kaiba's breathing.

Kaiba wasn't a naturally friendly person. He didn't just treat people to lunch. The whole thing sounded strange, when Jonouchi started to think about it. Business wasn't brought up until after Jonouchi had asked, and it made him begin to question Kaiba's intentions a little.

The silence was deafening. He wanted to talk, if only to have something to do besides over-think, but Jonouchi didn't know about what.

"Where's Mokuba today?"

That was as good of a starter as any.

"Studying for the Center Shiken, or so he claims. I think it's just an excuse to hang out with his friends. The test's a few months out, and it's not like he ever studies much for anything, anyway."

"Isn't he a genius like you?" asked Jonouchi with a nervous laugh, "I didn't think smart kids like him needed to really study for those stupid exams anyways."

Jonouchi had studied his butt off, thanks to Anzu's help, and only managed an average score. It was more than his teachers thought he'd get, and Jonouchi was pleased with his personal achievement, but it wasn't enough to really get accepted to any great schools. Besides, he didn't have the money for tuition, so it had been mostly all for naught.

Although he did do better than Honda, who hadn't studied at all.

"Of course he is, which I why I think the whole thing's a ruse. The test is more of a formality for him; schools have been vying for his attention ever since he expressed an interest in going. If he wanted to hang out with his friends, I don't know why he wouldn't just say so."

"Maybe he thought you wouldn't approve."

"I think we both know my approval isn't high on his list of necessities these days," Kaiba said dryly.

Jonouchi didn't think that was necessarily a bad thing, though. Mokuba was almost an adult. He needed to start living his own life already. At Mokuba's age, Jonouchi had been doing almost the same thing. He'd disappear for days at a time traveling while his father had no clue where on earth he was, and no one had bothered to ask. It hadn't harmed Jonouchi in any way...

Although Jonouchi didn't like the fact that no one cared about him really enough to worry, either. Kaiba seemed to care too much.

They pulled up to a multilevel strip mall about four kilometers away from headquarters. It was a place Jonouchi had passed by before, since the arcade he, Yugi, and Honda had frequented was nearby, but he'd never heard of a curry house inside the locale, either. Kaiba was already out of the car, walking up to the alcove leading inside, and Jonouchi had to hurriedly unbuckle and follow behind.

The staircase leading up was narrow and unlit, with random stickers and scrawling thickly clustered across either wall: old flyers, names, band decals, and long-ago declarations of love. Jonouchi wondered what the hell Kaiba had even been doing in the first place to have found wherever they were going to, and what had made him adventurous enough to have tried it out to begin with.

Reaching the top level of the five-story building, Jonouchi followed Kaiba as he weaved through a labyrinth of back hallways and storefronts. Finally they stopped at a tiny restaurant with a traditional facade, a dimly-lit display case of elaborate plastic food replicas adorning the wall along the entrance.

"You don't take your business associates here, do you?" asked Jonouchi as he looked around. It didn't seem likely. The place had more of an intimate feel than what would be appropriate for work, and the location was pretty grungy.

"No," Kaiba replied as he sat down at a small table, throwing his suit jacket over the back of the empty seat beside him. "I used to come here a lot when I was younger and didn't feel like going home immediately."

An elderly man emerged from the kitchen at the sound of guests, his drooping eyes going wide with recognition. "Oh! Kaiba-san, it has been a while!" he exclaimed delightedly, reaching for Kaiba's hand with both of his and giving it a shake.

This was a strange thing to watch. Jonouchi was trying not to seem as uncomfortable with the exchange as he felt, and with the promise of food in the air as he smelled the aroma of curry in the back, he kept himself from fidgeting in his seat. Since when was Kaiba cordial with anyone? Except maybe Isono, but Jonouchi didn't think they were even that friendly, considering Kaiba was always barking orders at him whenever he saw them together.

"I am glad to see that you are in good health," Kaiba said to the owner. The man just smiled at him before setting two menus down while yelling towards the kitchen, "Miyuki-chan, bring over two teas!"

A "Yes, sir!" was called back, and seconds later, a teenaged girl wearing a kimono shuffled over, nervously setting down two steaming mugs of tea before hurrying back to the kitchen.

"I see that your granddaughter has grown," Kaiba remarked as he slid the mug across the table to his other side.

"Yes, she will be entering high school next year. She helps out every now and then, but I told her she'll have to focus on her studies soon. But that Miyuki...she just tells me that she'll study in here like how that young boy used to do. I reckon she meant you, Kaiba-san." He gave Kaiba another crinkly smile before gesturing towards Jonouchi. "But where are my manners? Who might this young gentleman be?" The old man looked at him with inquisitive eyes.

"He's a...friend," Kaiba said as he blew on his tea. He looked over the cup directly at Jonouchi, and the statement along with the stare made Jonouchi fidget more.

"We went to high school together," explained Jonouchi as he tried not to stammer his words, "and work together, sometimes. That's all, really."

He wasn't sure if he should even give out his name. Kaiba should have, if he possessed any manners. Jonouchi didn't want to leave any sort of impression on the old man if he could help it, since Kaiba clearly came around enough for them to be friendly with each other. Better to remain somewhat anonymous.

"Hmm," the man murmured as he appraised Jonouchi, "you're the first person Kaiba-san's ever brought around, so you must be quite special. Take good care of Kaiba-san, will you? He's a good boy." He rested one wrinkled hand on Kaiba's shoulder before bringing out a pad of paper and a pen. "But enough of that; what shall I get for you two?"

"Whatever your best curry is," Jonouchi announced before looking at Kaiba. He didn't want Kaiba ordering for him, if he got the nerve. Jonouchi wasn't sure anymore what he was capable of pulling off. He seemed cool there, sitting at the table with him talking to the old man whom he had been familiar with for a long time, discussing personal things that Kaiba usually threw a damn fit over when any of his friends brought the past up.

It was strange.

"The usual," Kaiba said as he traced a finger along the rim of his mug.

"Of course," the owner replied, taking the menus and retreating to the kitchen. Now that Kaiba and he were alone in the dining area, Jonouchi felt even more uncomfortable.

"So why exactly did you take me here?" asked Jonouchi as he played with his teacup, needing something to do with his hands, "This doesn't seem like your usual hangout spot."

"It used to be, although it's been a while since I've last come here. There's no reason; I just felt like it," Kaiba said between sips. "The food is good."

"Uh huh, sure..."

Jonouchi doubted it. Well, he didn't doubt the food, but he doubted Kaiba's reason for coming. This didn't seem like some place you took someone unless you really liked them. Not if this was Kaiba's hideout spot from his teenage years. Having had a rather challenging childhood himself, Jonouchi knew what these kind of places meant for someone, so why Kaiba chose to finally expose his made no sense whatsoever

"Why haven't you been back, then? If the food is so good."

Kaiba leaned back in his seat and looked around. "You know what my schedule is like. Takeout or just not eating until I get home is easier."

"Because you couldn't get Isono to come grab you a box of curry on your way home after work," Jonouchi snorted, "You're making things far more difficult than they actually are for you. Besides, that old man was so happy to see you. Called you a good boy and everything, although maybe he said that because he doesn't know you like I do."

"Then how would you say you know me, Jonouchi?" Kaiba said, his eyes fixed directly at him.

"Better than most people."

Not because he wanted to, either. The more he got sucked into this huge mess, the more Jonouchi wished that he hadn't challenged Kaiba to that back alley Duel. All this headache wasn't worth the unofficial victory of beating Kaiba at Duel Monsters, especially since Kaiba was much better now and wouldn't easily be beaten again.

He also felt like he was being played with, a little. Jonouchi wanted to be friends with Kaiba, ever since they first met, but on his own conditions. Kaiba clearly didn't respect them, and more than once crossed the line between friendship and a more intimate interest Jonouchi told himself he wasn't okay with. Not just because they were both men, but also because Kaiba was just downright creepy at times, and Jonouchi had no fucking clue what was going on inside his head.

Anyone else would be easier to deal with.

"You seem pretty sure of yourself," Kaiba said lightly.

"Does that mean I'm wrong, then?"

"I wonder." Kaiba grew silent, seemingly lost in thought.

Jonouchi made a face as Kaiba tuned out of the conversation, moving his seat so he was facing more towards the bar of the restaurant instead of directly towards Kaiba himself. Sipping on his tea, he could feel his patience starting to wane. Kaiba hadn't seriously invited him over just to have social hour, did he? Especially since he just seemly shut down now so he could go into his own private la la land for who knew how long.

"Earth to Kaiba, was there something in particular you wanted to discuss with me, or did you just feel like dragging me somewhere for lunch because you knew you could get away with it?"

Kaiba blinked, his eyelashes fluttering before he turned to Jonouchi almost in surprise. "When are you going to get your own apartment?" he asked abruptly.

"Answer my question first, and then you'll get yours," Jonouchi rudely replied, feeling his face become hot from the embarrassment he was feeling. Yes, he wasn't proud of where he lived, but that was life.

"This is what I wanted to discuss," Kaiba began, sitting up straighter in his chair. "This marketing campaign can't be derailed again; it was enough trouble for the department to reschedule everything back into a cohesive plan. So if you still live with your father," Kaiba almost hissed the word, "there's no guarantee that you won't show up again looking like you did." He eyed Jonouchi's jaw, where the ghost of a bruise still lingered.

"I can't just kick my dad out, he's family," Jonouchi insisted, "He's my responsibility, and I'll be damned if I kick him out into the streets. He has no one else but me, and I'm his only son. You know how it is, Kaiba. For better or worse, I have to take care of him... I'll just make sure to keep my face away from him next time he comes home messed up."

It wasn't like his dad even knew what he was doing at times. He was such an alcoholic: the old man was constantly intoxicated, from the time he rose out of bed until he was passed out on his futon. Someone was supplying him, and Jonouchi knew better than to get involved. He just didn't want the cops picking him up and sending his dad to prison because of whatever crazy shit he'd gotten mixed up in.

Jonouchi would have had his debts paid off, too, if the old man had stopped making deals all the time.

They were interrupted by the food's arrival. Jonouchi was served a hearty lamb stew with rice, while "the usual" for Kaiba ended up being mostly rice and vegetables with a little beef and apple. Kaiba didn't reach for his bowl or spoon, instead continuing to stare at Jonouchi with an intense gaze.

"There's no need for you to kick him out; you can get your own separate quarters. He's a grown man, Jonouchi. He can learn to take care of himself. How serious are you about your career?"

"Don't insult me with questions like that, Kaiba."

Paying for two apartments, even on his improved salary, would still be difficult. Besides, his father needed to eat and wouldn't clean up after himself. When Jonouchi left home for days at a time, he'd come back to spoiled food covered in fruit flies all over the place and whatever other bugs had found their way in. It was disgusting, and Jonouchi didn't understand how his father could even live like that.

If the laundry wasn't done for Jonouchi senior, either, the man would just keep wearing his old, soiled clothes...

"Then you should understand where I'm coming from," Kaiba replied pointedly. "You can't afford to lose focus, and sometimes that means letting go of the things holding you back."

"My father isn't a 'thing,' Kaiba, he's my father. You don't just shove family aside because they are going through shit... I won't get punched in the face again, I can promise you that much, but I'll deal with my family issues myself."

Besides, what did Kaiba know about dealing with parents? His were dead. He had no idea what he was talking about.

Jonouchi nursed his aggravation with food. The curry was delicious, which wasn't a surprise. Clearly Kaiba wouldn't waste time anywhere if the food wasn't good enough for his much pickier palate, and thankfully it eased away Jonouchi's irritation. If he wasn't uncomfortable with Kaiba, he was mad at him. Very quickly, he was getting sick of the feeling.

Finally picking up his spoon, Kaiba responded tersely, "See to it that you do." He appeared as though he wanted to say something else but had refrained. They ate in silence for a few minutes, before Kaiba spoke once again. He'd placed his spoon back on the rest, and the fingers around his mug twitched almost imperceptibly. "What good is 'family' when the relation's only by blood?" There was surprisingly little venom in his voice.

"I don't really want to talk about that with you," replied Jonouchi with as much politeness as he could muster, considering his growing temper, "Please change the subject."

But Kaiba only grew faraway again and continued to eat his food. He looked somewhat troubled—his eyebrows were furrowed as he poked at his meal, his gaze cast downward.

"Why can't we just talk about normal things, like normal people do?" asked Jonouchi after the silence began eating away at him, "Would that kill you for once?"

"I'm not normal, Jonouchi. I thought you knew that," Kaiba said quietly.

"Yeah well, it's not like you really try to be normal, either. It's like you enjoy being as strange as possible so the rest of us can be left confused over what the hell you're thinking. You couldn't have just dragged me here to scold me, right?"

Was Kaiba really that damn ridiculous as to do that? Maybe. He didn't seem to really care what Jonouchi thought of him.

"I don't know what it's like to have friends," Kaiba replied neutrally, "so excuse my ignorance."

"Are we friends?" Jonouchi wasn't sure. His feelings on it changed on a daily basis, it seemed. "You don't treat me like a friend at all, Kaiba. And don't say you don't know how it works, because you've seen it enough times throughout high school. You're not as socially inept as you like to pretend to be."

The twitch moved to under Kaiba's left eye. "I thought we were trying to be. You don't make it easy either, Jonouchi, and your treatment of me is a far cry from that of your other friends-"

"Probably because I can't trust you like my other friends," interrupted Jonouchi with a bit of bite, "They don't shove me onto their beds to feel me up, for one."

"I thought we agreed to move past that, but you keep using it against me like it was entirely my fault," Kaiba countered, his normally pale face tinged a slight pink.

"It was mostly your fault," Jonouchi pointed out, "Nothing would have happened that night if you hadn't done that... And I shouldn't bring it up, because I don't like thinking about it to begin with, but since you want to know why I don't treat you like Yugi, well, there you have it."

"Nothing would have happened if you hadn't been over in the first place, but there's no point arguing about it now. So tell me, Jonouchi, what can I do to make you trust me?" The wrinkle was prominent between Kaiba's brows.

"I guess you need to give me a reason to trust you, first of all..." Jonouchi couldn't depend on Kaiba like he could Anzu, Honda, or Yugi. Even Ryou, probably, who cared about friendship but had his personal troubles to deal with, namely the malevolent Spirit of the Ring. Kaiba only did anything for himself or his brother, and no one else.

"...I've shown my trust in you. Isn't that enough?" Kaiba had finished eating, and he pushed his bowl away. The young waitress came over to fetch it, refilling their mugs.

"Not when you keep burning me as payment."

Kaiba watched the steam rise from his mug, curling wisps that drifted and faded. "I see."

"Do you really?" asked Jonouchi defiantly, "Because sometimes I doubt you understand how I feel about anything at all."

"The same could be said of you," Kaiba said, meeting Jonouchi's gaze, "You view me as some unfeeling entity, and I'd wager you've never given thought to how your actions or words might impress upon me. But that's neither here nor there; we won't get anywhere by keeping score like this."

"I'm not keeping a score," Jonouchi retorted with a heavy sigh, "and you make it pretty hard for anyone to believe that you feel anything about what people say to you, since you keep everyone at an arm's distance. You won't open up to anyone, Kaiba. Can't blame the rest of us for not knowing what's going on in that head of yours..."

His plate was just about empty. Jonouchi placed his spoon back down on its holder, still slightly aggravated and holding his chin up with his hand and elbow. He wasn't getting anywhere with Kaiba, at all. They were at a stalemate, it seemed, and Kaiba wasn't going to really open himself up anytime soon, although Jonouchi didn't think he'd feel too comfortable with that, anyway.

Kaiba was too complex a person for him to really understand. Jonouchi didn't want his life being anymore complicated by him than it already was.

"Are you done eating yet?"

Maybe changing the subject entirely would be safe.

"I've been waiting on you." Kaiba stood, shrugging his suit jacket back on before heading over to the register. He talked lightly with the restaurant owner—too soft for Jonouchi's ears to catch—but the conversation had elicited a raucous laugh from the old man and a toothy grin. Returning to the table, Kaiba hovered by its edge. "Let's go."

Blinking, Jonouchi got up and followed behind Kaiba, not quick to catch up with Kaiba's pace as he stared at his feet. He lagged behind some, leaving the shop and waving to the owner. Kaiba walked too fast, and heavy with food, Jonouchi didn't feel like putting forth the effort to keep up with his long strides.

Why couldn't Kaiba just be cordial with everyone like he was with the old man? How hard was it to act normal for once? Jonouchi was sure Kaiba acted more strange than he really was, as a defensive measure. It was the only thing that made sense. He wasn't so socially inept; he understood how people thought and could function in groups without much effort. Really, it was his apathy in being personal with his own peers that got under Jonouchi's skin. He was starting to realize that.

Too bad Kaiba was never going to change himself anytime soon. He was probably comfortable in his loneliness, to a point. People needed company, but Kaiba seemed attached to his misery.

"Why do you have to walk so damn fast," muttered Jonouchi under his breath as he shuffled his feet around, "There's no rush to get back."

"We've already taken a long enough break," Kaiba said, not turning around, "I still have work to do."

"So what? You can take a breather for once and live a little. The rest of the world can wait."

Didn't Kaiba take a ton of work home with him anyways? Jonouchi didn't get it. Kaiba was going to die of a stroke at thirty if he continued that hard without stopping.

"Japanese work ethic be damned, you need more fun in your life. What do you like to do besides sitting in front of a computers and telling people what to do?" asked Jonouchi.

"I don't get many opportunities for 'fun,' Jonouchi," Kaiba said as he reached the car and climbed in. "We're not kids anymore." He turned the ignition and waited for Jonouchi to get inside before pulling out onto the road. "And _whom_, pray tell, would I have this 'fun' with?"

Opening the door, Jonouchi settled in and strapped on his seat belt before slouching against the passenger door.

"Fun isn't just for kids, Kaiba. And I'm pretty sure even as a kid, you didn't get much of any, so maybe it's time that you did something for yourself for once," Jonouchi pointed out as he rolled his eyes, "And you do stuff with your friends, which you'd have if you bothered to try getting some."

Kaiba's eyes kept shifting from the road to his rear view mirror and back again. "I _am_ trying to get one, although the one I picked is being _resistant_," he said pointedly.

"Friends usually enjoy each other's company, and you don't act like you enjoy having me around. And I could probably learn to enjoy yours if you'd stop acting like you have a pole stuck up your ass and try doing something besides being a bossy CEO all the time."

They hadn't really been friendly towards each other in quite a while. Jonouchi had known they had finally been getting along, but then the incident in the study had happened. It was just too awkward to go back to how things were before without realizing a few things for himself.

"If you could try being a friend instead of my boss all the time," reasoned Jonouchi, "and do something fun with me, then maybe you'd get what you want."

Kaiba's eyes slid over to Jonouchi, although his face remained forward. "Is that so? Then since you're such an expert at _fun_, why don't you suggest something."

"I would if you weren't so damn resistant to it."

"I'm asking you now."

Quieting, Jonouchi mulled over it. Now that the offer was being made, he wasn't entirely sure just what they should do together. Kaiba was in a prissy mood, and Jonouchi was heavy from food, but he didn't know when that kind of offer would ever happen again. Not just that, but if he didn't take it, Kaiba might not give it again to him.

"Fine. Let's go to your theme park, then. Show me around."

"Fine. I'm only working a half-day on Friday, so we can go then."

Jonouchi snorted. There was hope for Kaiba yet.

* * *

Finishing up early for the day, Kaiba headed over to Kaiba Land and waited for Jonouchi to arrive. It felt strange to be sitting around and doing nothing, but it gave him time to people watch and decompress for a bit by himself. Judging from their last encounter, it was hard for Kaiba to anticipate how Jonouchi would act, and that alone was stressful enough.

Sitting on a side bench, watching the flow of traffic, Kaiba mulled over their lunch excursion from earlier in the week, as though a thorough analysis would somehow unlock something comprehensible behind Jonouchi's ever-changing attitudes and behaviors.

One. This whole event was Jonouchi's idea, so if it crashed and burned, then Kaiba really couldn't be blamed. He was trying, after all, even if Jonouchi failed to see it.

Two. Jonouchi claimed to know Kaiba better than most people, but did he really? How exactly _did _Jonouchi view him? To be honest, Kaiba knew he treated Jonouchi vastly different from most others. People either tended to register on his radar as worthy of his attention or were blips quickly dealt with and forgotten. From the outset, Jonouchi should have been the latter category, but somehow he would always grab hold of Kaiba's attention and keep it—kept it after all these years. And while Kaiba admittedly had never treated Jonouchi with much apparent kindness or concern, the fact that Kaiba had tolerated him at all beyond his threshold for the rest of the world's population was a testament to Jonouchi himself.

Three. Although Kaiba believed he had already proven his trust, it wasn't enough for Jonouchi. Jonouchi held hostage the future of his company and Kaiba's own reputation, far past the business aspect alone. He had (rather extreme) intimate knowledge of Kaiba's personal life, had been invited into his own home, and while Kaiba didn't give much credence to scandals, the rest of the world did. Jonouchi held the power to ruin him, and that wasn't enough. The knowledge sat uneasily in Kaiba's stomach.

Four. Friendship, it seemed, was still a long way away. Although they'd agreed to come to a kind of truce—put the past and the bitterness aside—it was more easily said than done. Jonouchi still regarded Kaiba with suspicion, and while he expected Kaiba to all of a sudden open up and spill his innermost thoughts, Jonouchi refused to do the same. The double standard riled Kaiba. He'd never been an open book. Never _could_ be. It was how he'd made it to twenty-one years of age relatively intact. Being abandoned by your own blood, suffering at the hands of a sociopath, fending off a hostile corporate world that only wanted to see your downfall… Who could trust in an environment like that? No one who wanted to survive.

Five. Just how long was Jonouchi going to keep him waiting? He'd fired off that text message almost an _hour _ago. Crossing his legs and arms, Kaiba closed his eyes and felt minutely relieved that he hadn't worn a suit to work. It was still balmy for late September, but the nights grew colder as the month wore on.

Eventually Jonouchi appeared out of the crowd. He was wearing just a shirt and jeans with sneakers, although he had some old red varsity jacket thrown over his arm. It looked familiar. Kaiba couldn't figure out how he'd seen it before, but it couldn't have been from that long ago. The hue and stitched letter "J" were things he'd noticed from somewhere before…

"You're late."

"Sorry, the bus wasn't running on time," Jonouchi shrugged, "If you didn't want me running late, you should have offered to pick me up."

"You have Isono's number. You could practically call him anytime you want," Kaiba sniffed.

"Well, I didn't know that until just now," Jonouchi replied with a frown, "and he's not my personal driver, either. He's yours. I don't live like that, you know."

Jonouchi crossed his arms and dropped his gaze towards the entrance of the park, kicking rocks on the ground. He appeared somewhat uncomfortable now, with his eyes downcast. Hopefully he wouldn't stay like that their entire outing.

"You're getting us in for free, right?"

"No, I'm going to funnel a portion of your salary back into my corporation," Kaiba replied, rolling his eyes as he stood. His joints felt stiff, and he was eager to work some feeling back into them. "You should read over your benefits packet sometime. Anyway, where do you want to go first? I don't really have a preference, since I know everything about this park…" He and Mokuba had controlled every aspect of the park's design, even remodelling Death-T after they'd returned from Duelist Kingdom.

"Take me to your favorite part, and we'll go from there," answered Jonouchi, who apparently was choosing not to react to Kaiba's snippy comment about benefits.

"I guess we could head over now; it's going to start soon anyway," Kaiba said as he checked his watch. Passing through the gates of the park, Kaiba headed towards the right, navigating through the thick crowds towards the back of the park. He wondered what Jonouchi's reaction would be when they arrived at their destination, but, well—Jonouchi had asked, and Kaiba was going to give him an honest answer.

"Where exactly are we going?" started Jonouchi as he quickened his pace to keep up with Kaiba's longer strides, "I've never been over in this part of the park before. You got some hidden ride you don't show the common people or something?"

"I'm not surprised you haven't seen this side," Kaiba replied as he slowed his pace marginally, "since the Dueling Arena and arcade are both over on the opposite end."

It didn't take long for them to arrive at the far corner of the park. As expected, there were less teenagers hanging around the area. Families and little children clustered and milled about, and both Kaiba and Jonouchi nearly got taken out by the tiny masses racing around. Stopping in front of the theater entrance, Kaiba turned to Jonouchi and waited.

"What exactly is this-"

Heading through the turnstyle, Kaiba said, "Just see for yourself." They wandered through a dark passage that eventually opened up to an open-air theater. There was a large stage set up for pyrotechnics and rows upon rows of steel bleachers. The theater was mostly full: packed with young kids bouncing excitedly in their seats, flanked by older siblings and parents. Light sticks waved enthusiastically in the air. Climbing up to the top row, Kaiba slid into a relatively empty spot and waited, Jonouchi following closely behind. Seconds later, the stage lit up dramatically, smoke slithering out and speakers booming with sharp guitar riffs over electronic music.

Performers in Duel Monster costumes rose on the stage, the screen behind them snapping on and projecting scenes of Domino City. The monsters were going on a rampage, controlled by some generic-looking evil-doer, fireworks banging and whizzing along with the explosions. And then when it looked like the villain was about to win, an actor dressed like Kaibaman ziplined to the stage from behind the audience, summoning a Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

It was silly and overly super sentai, but Kaiba didn't care. He looked over at Jonouchi curiously before turning his sights back to the stage. "It's not the show itself that's my favorite part," he began, "I know that it's all rather tacky and ridiculous. I just like to see the kids' faces; they get so excited and into the story. For a few moments, they have a hero they believe in. It's something my brother would have loved to have gone to when he was younger, but I could never take him."

Jonouchi didn't reply. He seemed to be mulling over it, his eyes still focused on the actors who were continuing with their silly antics on stage, one man dressed in a Scapegoat costume falling over on the floor while the other two circled around him before falling with him. There was a girl dressed up as the Dark Magician Girl, too, who threw candy from the stage, alongside a Dark Magician who was just twirling his staff before a small blast of smoke went off and they both disappeared.

"Was this your idea, then?" asked Jonouchi quietly.

"Yes," Kaiba answered, "the general idea, anyway. The production was refined through test audiences, of course, but this all was essentially my brainchild. A gift for Mokuba. Late, but a gift, nonetheless."

"It's really corny. I hope your brother's sense of humor is more developed by now," snorted Jonouchi, "And here I thought you were too serious a guy to do something like this yourself. I'm surprised."

"He was still a kid when the park opened. I've caught him sneaking in here a number of times, though, so I guess the novelty still hasn't worn off…" Kaiba shifted in his seat. The kids all around them were cheering and waving their hands around, their attention rapt and wide smiles spread across their faces. "We don't have to stay here for the entire show."

"Take me to the next thing, then." Jonouchi got up, a grin fixed on his face for the first in a long time, it seemed. "You're the one leading, Kaiba."

"Then I hope you like roller coasters," Kaiba said as he made his way to the exit, shielding his eyes from the sudden brightness of the complete outdoors. The Blue-Eyes Jet Coaster had been his little pet project, an exercise in how much he could bend the laws of physics against the limits of the human body. Clocking in at 6 Gs and topping 220 kilometers per hour, it was quite the engineering feat.

Jonouchi had given his thumbs up in response, but once he was standing outside right before the behemoth ride, he didn't look so confident. His eyes were huge, staring at the monster of a coaster as a car of people came whizzing down, everyone screaming their heads off.

"How high up is this thing?"

"The highest point is 150 meters, although the main drop's not as extremely steep," Kaiba answered.

"How many times have you ridden it?"

Kaiba mirrored Jonouchi's gaze, "Too many times to count. The best way to test out something is to test it yourself. It's been a long while, though, since I was last on it—I don't think I've ridden it after it opened."

Gulping, Jonouchi took a step forward towards the entrance line. He'd probably never ridden anything quite that intense before, if the look on his face was right. He appeared apprehensive, yet determined, to get on the thing.

"Well I guess it's a good thing I haven't eaten, or else I wouldn't be able to promise not to throw up on you after this," he laughed, "I know I've done it on Honda more than once..."

Kaiba gave Jonouchi a withering look, cocking an eyebrow. "Yes, I'd appreciate it if you didn't. And I suppose we'll have to hold off on food after, just to be safe." Walking towards the entrance, he turned to Jonouchi, a small smirk on his face, "Well?"

"This doesn't look too bad," responded Jonouchi with false bravado, "I've ridden much worse, I'm sure."

"Then this is where I should tell you that the Blue-Eyes Jet Coaster is the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the country," Kaiba said, the smirk widening.

Jonouchi's shoulders slumped over a little, his eyes becoming rather narrow before he kicked back his shoulders and stood up tall again. "Whatever, I can handle any ride in this place."

He marched over to the entrance, getting behind a bunch of jostling teenagers. His foot tapped on top of the cement as he stared at the coaster, his eyes shrinking and enlarging as his mind raced, or so it appeared. Kaiba could tell he was determined to face his fear. At least that was something.

The line moved fast. It didn't take them long to reach the gate where seating split off into rows. "First car or last car?"

"I don't know, I'm kinda nervous about this, I'm not ready to die yet-" stammered Jonouchi nervously as he wiped the palms of his hands onto his blue jeans.

Kaiba rolled his eyes, crossing his arms against his chest, "You're not going to die, stupid. I wouldn't create-" Kaiba cut that line of thought quickly; there was proof in this very park that if he finished his statement, it wouldn't have been true. "I'm going on it, too, so obviously I wouldn't put myself in an unsafe position. So decide. Quickly." His fingertips rapped against his forearm.

"First car, then!" announced Jonouchi loudly, "I'm no coward."

They filed into the front line, and Kaiba could sense Jonouchi's anxiety grow by the second: he got progressively twitchier, almost unable to control the bundle of nerves surging underneath his skin.

And then it was their turn. Kaiba gave Jonouchi a light shove between the shoulder blades, moving him forward. Jonouchi barely registered the motion, jerkily clambering into the front car and sliding across. The ride was a two-seater, and Kaiba was grateful that he didn't have to sit next to some stranger or fight for leg space with additional riders.

An attendant came by, lowering the bar across their laps and locking the overhead restraints in place. Kaiba watched Jonouchi from the corner of his eye—he was gritting his teeth, his knuckles a stark pale contrast against the tan of his arms. But he was staring determinedly forward, bracing his legs and feet against the front encasement of the car.

The coaster lurched forward, slowly rolling ahead a few meters until it was in line with the launching point. The traffic light beside the control station was lit red, and Kaiba just leaned back in his seat, holding onto his handles and preparing himself for what was coming next. He knew this ride like the back of his hand—had spent several sleepless nights retooling the physics and running equation after equation. There was no mystery, no fear.

The nervous energy seemed to return to Jonouchi, who kept re-adjusting his own grip on his restraints. His left knee was bobbing violently, knocking into Kaiba's.

His overreactions were becoming annoying. Reaching out, Kaiba pressed a palm against the top of Jonouchi's thigh, forcibly stilling it. Jonouchi leaned forward, suspicion written across his face. "Hey, what are y-" He was slammed backwards as the roller coaster rocketed off, careening and twisting on its track.

Jonouchi must have huge lungs. It was the only explanation Kaiba could give for the other's impossibly loud and sustained screams. He never seemed to run out of breath as the coaster raced along, spinning through a series of vertical loops and staggered hills. Even as it did a string of corkscrews, Jonouchi didn't wear out enough to quiet down.

They came to a giant drop, their hair blowing into their faces and whipping across their eyes. Jonouchi was still screaming with his hands pressed hard onto the bar for dear life while Kaiba tried freeing his face of being slapped by hair with one hand, but failing. When they darted around a corner, they were flown up and back down, going through fast loops and spins before shooting up and around a giant model of a Blue Eyes White Dragon which hurled lightning, nearly hitting their car just as they took another steep drop for the last time.

The ride came to an end as quickly as it had begun. It had tolled only three minutes, but both men came out of there thoroughly whipped. Hair tossed around and out of breath, Jonouchi seemed stunned in his seat before he laughed loudly, brushing his bangs back and bouncing in his seat.

"That was nothing!" he announced, "We should do it again!"

Kaiba couldn't feel his legs. The last drop made him feel almost weightless, and his stomach had flipped at least a dozen times as they were tossed around the track.

He quirked an eyebrow at Jonouchi as they were released from their restraints. "I'm not sure I trust your stomach not to spill everywhere in five minutes. We should do something else, and if you still want to ride again later, we can. Besides," Kaiba said as he looked behind him, "the line is picking up now."

"Okay, _mom_," Jonouchi sighed loudly, "I'm kinda hungry, anyways. Where can I get something to eat here?"

"There's a food court towards the center of the park and a handful of food carts all around. What kind of food do you want to eat?"

"Anything," Jonouchi answered. "Everything."

"The food court, then," Kaiba said, rolling his eyes although a smile tugged at his lips. It would just be like Jonouchi to want to gorge himself after being subjected to six times the gravitational force of Earth.

"Show me where it is, then!" Jonouchi nearly begged, snatching onto Kaiba's long sleeve and nearly dragging him towards what appeared to be the direction of the opposite end of the park. He had no idea where he was going, that much was apparent. His over-enthusiasm was driving him to all directions, and Kaiba snorted.

Kaiba could feel the warmth of Jonouchi's hand through the fabric of his shirt and shivered. Turning his wrist so that he got a grip onto Jonouchi's forearm, Kaiba hauled Jonouchi around, "If you want to take over tour guide duties, at least know where you're going," he chuckled in amusement. Jonouchi was just like a kid, easily swayed by the lure of food.

Pulling Jonouchi along, the two made their way through the crowds. There seemed to be more people in the park now than there were earlier, and Kaiba maintained his grip on Jonouchi's wrist, lest they be separated. He didn't feel like having to track down the blond if he got lost in the hordes. The hunger and increase in people must have distracted Jonouchi enough not to care that they were close to holding hands in public, Kaiba surmised. Not that he particularly cared, either—despite a few odd glances, they were moving fast enough for the gesture not to be mistaken for intimacy. Besides, high school boys locked arms all the time. Not that the same could be said for adults…

Luckily, they'd missed the lunch hour, so lines for the food court weren't long when they arrived. "Get whatever you want; just show them your KaibaCorp ID at the register," Kaiba said, finally releasing Jonouchi's wrist.

"Can I really get whatever I want," asked Jonouchi in awe, "I could eat this entire place apart if you don't stop me."

His eyes were bright, and before Kaiba could answer, Jonouchi grinned and ran for one of the fast food lines. He didn't seem put off by eating an entire tray of fries along with a bacon burger, and Kaiba nearly gasped when he ran into _another _line for gyoza and noodles.

"How much can one person eat..."

Apparently quite a bit. Jonouchi had his tray completely packed with food, and he sat down at one of the end tables before excitedly starting on his burger.

"I was planning to share, you know," he said between bites, "I just hadn't eaten all day, really. I didn't have time for breakfast this morning."

"So you're making up for it now," Kaiba said flatly as he eyed the plates heaped with food. It was _definitely_ a good thing that Jonouchi hadn't eaten before the roller coaster… "I'll be back; try not to choke," he said as he headed towards a food stall. Where Jonouchi stored all that food, Kaiba had no idea. His appetite was just like Mokuba's, although Mokuba had the excuse of being a teenager. Settling on a small basket of takoyaki, Kaiba returned to the table—he'd only been gone a few minutes, but Jonouchi had already cleared through half of his food.

It was almost frightening.

"Of course you would go and grab the best looking thing here," noted Jonouchi in-between bites of food, "I didn't even see the stall for that, or else I would have grabbed some." He sighed loudly, his shoulders slumping a little before he stuffed more fries into his mouth, "I really like octopus."

Kaiba pushed the basket to the center of the table, "Take some, then." It wasn't like he was going to finish the whole portion, anyway.

"No, I got so much already to get down," said Jonouchi. His tray was on its way to being empty again. The burger was gone, along with most of the fries and much of Jonouchi's gyoza. There wasn't much left besides the noodles. "Why do you eat so little, Kaiba?"

"I've never had a big appetite," Kaiba said, chewing slowly, "How do you eat so much?"

"I'm hungry."

"Then your hunger must rival a small village's," Kaiba smirked. "I don't know how you're not spilling out of your jeans from the amount you consume. You must have one freakish metabolism." His own wasn't bad by any means, even though he regularly ate like a bird, but Jonouchi had barely an ounce of fat on him.

"I run a lot, to get places," remarked Jonouchi, as he began on his noodles, "I couldn't afford a taxi until now, and I tend to miss the bus a lot. I like running, though. Just not in winter."

If he expected to stay in good shape, Jonouchi would have to continue staying active. Kaiba knew he'd have to talk to him about that, some other time. He couldn't have his investment getting fat on him.

"Maybe I should start working out instead," noted Jonouchi, "Does Kaiba Corporation have a gym?"

"There are two," Kaiba replied, "one on the fifth floor and another on the seventieth floor. Only those with executive-level clearance can use the latter one.

"So consider yourself privileged that both are at your disposal."

"Executive-level clearance?" Jonouchi parroted.

Kaiba's eyebrows raised a little, "How else do you think you get in and out of my office suite?"

"Dumb luck."

"Luck is not a component of my security system," Kaiba said, laughing a little. "Your permission levels aren't as high as mine, of course, but seeing as your duties require interacting with most of the departments, your access is pretty broad."

"Well, lucky me then." Jonouchi snorted just as he slurped a noodle, "I guess you gotta keep some places free of my amazing influence, though."

"It _is_ called 'Kaiba' Corporation, after all," Kaiba quipped, skewering another takoyaki with a toothpick.

Jonouchi snorted, using his fingers to grab one of Kaiba's fried octopus balls before stuffing it into his mouth. Not that he needed more food, but he probably wanted to see Kaiba's face after using his hands to eat instead of utensils. Kaiba tried not to let his disapproval show.

"Right. But...why didn't you change the name when you took it over? You hated your stepfather, right? You could have changed anything if you wanted to."

Jonouchi had to be aware that Kaiba didn't like discussing that kind of stuff with anyone, but he had asked anyways. Apparently curiosity had gotten the best of him. But Gozaburo was still a sore subject for Kaiba—would always probably be, after what he'd done—and Kaiba had to steel his face before he replied, "Because the Kaiba name still carries great prestige and prominence. It doesn't matter if I hated him; it doesn't change the fact that I am still a Kaiba."

He'd fought for the name. He wasn't about to give it up.

It was clear that Jonouchi didn't understand that, though. His brown eyes looked away as he played with his noodles, moving them across his plate in that nervous manner of his when he was thinking things he was too afraid to say aloud. Kaiba didn't know if he wanted to hear Jonouchi's thoughts on the manner... Scratch that, he didn't want to, but not knowing would just bug him all the same.

"If you have something to say, Jonouchi, just spit it out."

"I didn't think you liked talking about this sort of thing. It's not really any of my business, anyway," Jonouchi said in a low voice, "I won't bother you with it, if you want to change the subject."

Kaiba thought back to earlier in the week, when Jonouchi had closed himself off when the topic of family had arisen. It was true, he didn't like talking about Gozaburo. It brought back memories Kaiba would prefer not to revisit. But Kaiba's curiosity got the better of him, and besides, maybe the gesture would make Jonouchi less prickly about sharing his own dubious background. "Talking about a dead man won't bring him back," Kaiba began, shrugging his shoulders, "so just go ahead already."

"Uhhh, I wasn't going to ask about _him_," Jonouchi pointed out with a frown, "I want to know what your family name was before."

The inquiry took Kaiba aback. Objectively, it was a completely innocent thing to ask about, but a sinking feeling of dread crept across his shoulders. "I don't remember," Kaiba said, looking away.

Jonouchi's eyes grew large, but he didn't say anything. He was quiet again, probably thinking, and Kaiba was glad for that. He didn't want to explain himself; he didn't even have an answer for it. Gozaburo had adopted him when he was ten, old enough to remember his entire original name while Mokuba had not. There was no way he just up and forgot it...

It didn't make any sense.

Memories flooded into his consciousness, the realization cutting him like a million glass shards. He had been made to forget. Countless nights without sleep, his stepfather's unwavering voice and unflinching gaze. The striking of a whip dangerously close to his face.

"_Who are you_?"

A name given, muted from the memory. The loud striking of thin leather against polished wood.

"_Wrong answer. Who are you_?"

Nights that cycled into days. The same question repeated each visit. Always the wrong answer.

And then finally, a breaking point.

"_Who are you_?"

"_Kaiba Seto_."

"_Never forget that_."

Blinking, his thoughts broke as Jonouchi dragged his seat against the floor and snagged another takoyaki from Kaiba's plate, despite not finishing everything on his own. "I'm almost done eating," he interrupted, "Is there like a haunted house here? Or something like that? I want to get scared."

"There's a Monster Horror building at the opposite corner of the park," Kaiba replied automatically. He was surprised that Jonouchi hadn't pressed the matter further—his response had been utterly abnormal—but perhaps Jonouchi had, and lost in thought, Kaiba hadn't heard. He was uncertain whether he should feel relieved or bothered by that.

"What kind of monster horror exactly?"

"It's a virtual reality horror house mainly populated by occult-themed Duel Monsters," Kaiba explained. "You can thank Mokuba for that idea."

Jonouchi grumbled, "I hate occult cards. They freak me the fuck out."

"And here I thought you wanted to get scared," Kaiba said lightly, a sly grin spreading across his mouth. "We don't have to go, if you're too afraid…"

"Nah, I can handle it," replied Jonouchi as he placed his left fist across his chest and stuck out his chin, "I just might not like it too much. And will probably scream a lot. And maybe punch someone in the face, if they get too close. I hate occult shit..."

"Do try to control yourself," Kaiba drawled as he rose from his seat, "I'd rather not deal with an employee suing me over another employee assaulting them." There was also the possibility that Kaiba himself would be on the receiving end of Jonouchi's fist, and Kaiba frowned at that prospect as he threw away his trash.

"I'll try to contain myself," promised Jonouchi as he batted his eyelashes, "Show me the way, Kaiba."

They took the monorail around this time, rather than deal with the crowds. Jonouchi had practically bounced in his seat all the while, catching glimpses of all the Kaiba Land rides and attractions from above. It took mere minutes to arrive at their destination, and Jonouchi had abruptly stilled when they reached the entrance of the towering castle.

"Chickening out?" Kaiba teased, enjoying watching Jonouchi's fear and determination battle across his face.

"Nah man, I can do this."

"Then be my guest," Kaiba said, ushering Jonouchi along.

Mokuba had redesigned the ride to be contained: it had originally been built like a traditional horror house, with park goers walking through it, but the test attendees had been so scared that they would inadvertently run into the mechanical areas. Now it had large booths on a conveyor belt, big enough to seat three comfortably, and while Kaiba considered the decrease in interaction quite the loss, at least it meant the ride wouldn't shut down if a guest got too spooked.

Climbing into one of the seats as it moved along, Kaiba called out, "You better hurry, or you're riding on your own."

"I'm coming. You are not leaving me behind on this shit..."

Thankfully, Jonouchi took the middle seat. He wouldn't have to worry about something grabbing at him, since he was safe from being snagged at. Kaiba had the edge seat, and he didn't mind that at all. He already knew the entire ride, like everything else in the park, and could probably even sleep through it if he was tired enough.

It started in a graveyard. Cold, damp mist skimmed atop rows of cracked and decrepit tombstones, the sky an ominous purple-gray. Tortured shrieks could be heard in the distance, intertwined with malicious laughter. The sky undulated, twisting and bulging until it morphed into anguished, featureless faces with black pits for eyes that gradually burned a piercing neon yellow. When their car came close to the end of the scene, a bony hand emerged from a grave, multiplying until the entire graveyard was ravaged by grotesque undead creatures tearing through the ground for freedom. Their skin was a sickly green, taut across bones and hanging limply from decomposing ribcages.

Kaiba and Jonouchi were almost in the clear when a Goblin Zombie jumped directly in front of their car, swinging its sword as it landed. They passed right through it, and Jonouchi let out a shrill scream as they were cloaked in shadow.

The ride continued on: furious pursuit by a Headless Knight, the impact of a mace beating against the back of their car; a room full of bloodied, dangling puppets and dolls brought to life by a sinister-looking Puppet Master; clusters of fiends swarming from the rafters, shooting air hissing as it blew across their necks. Kaiba noticed that with each new room, Jonouchi crept progressively closer, eventually invading his personal space when Jonouchi sidled completely up against his shoulder. Although it had been amusing to watch the other's rising fright, Kaiba felt his heart skip a beat, and he knew it had nothing to do with the ride.

The car slowed and then jerked to a stop, the steady soundtrack of screams silenced. To their right, a Dark Necrofear materialized engulfed in a spotlight, cradling a broken doll in its hands. Tilting its head, it made the doll mime a parting wave with its hands, and then the ride catapulted forward, once again lurching to an abrupt stop. Above them, a Destiny Board loomed, a phantom-like ghoul turning around the letters for "death" as it cackled evilly. Jonouchi and Kaiba were plunged into darkness, and then the ride suddenly dropped as they were launched forward and down a hill with a bang.

Jonouchi screamed at the top of his lungs, impossibly louder than he had while on the Blue-Eyes Jet Coaster. He was practically clawing at Kaiba's side, his grip on Kaiba's arm painfully tight. Yet Kaiba found himself not minding at all, even welcoming the touch. It was utterly perplexing—he normally despised others getting up into his personal space unless he was the one initiating it, or unless it was his brother.

It must be due to Jonouchi's capricious behavior as of late. Jonouchi almost violently vacillated between moods, becoming irrationally difficult and then flipping to overly-friendly the next, so that any sort of good mood from him was a welcome change, Kaiba reasoned.

They were back at the start again. Jonouchi was panting hard, apparently still catching his breath. Once they were no longer in the darkness anymore, he suddenly dropped Kaiba's arm and started laughing loudly.

"Yeah, that wasn't so scary," he lied as he worked on adjusting his shirt after crushing onto Kaiba's side for the last few minutes, "What else you got for me?"


	18. Chapter 18

Jonouchi still felt giddy, even after leaving Kaiba Land. It was dark outside, and he was so tired from dragging Kaiba around the entire park. He'd never really had the chance to see all the changes it had undergone since high school, and Honda had lost interest in theme parks since then. With Yugi gone and Anzu busy with school, it became increasingly hard to find someone who still actually had the same somewhat childish interests that still amused Jonouchi despite his older age of twenty-one.

Now, completely drained and even a little sore from walking all over the park, he sat still in Kaiba's car, drumming his fingers against the passenger door as they drove past pedestrians on the street.

Jonouchi didn't really want to go back home to his crappy apartment, but he wasn't going to stay at Kaiba's place again. Even though it was far nicer there than where his father could barge in at any time, Jonouchi knew it wasn't a good idea to start making a habit of sleeping over.

"You're not normally this quiet. Did I finally find the secret to making you silent for longer than five minutes?" Kaiba asked, his eyes still focused on the road ahead.

Scoffing, Jonouchi rolled his eyes, too lazy to move his head so he could look at Kaiba while he spoke to him, "We've been on our feet for six hours. It feels like twelve, though," he whined as he glanced down at his worn-out kicks, "I do get tired sometimes."

"It's a miracle."

"Don't worry, I'll be back to my normal, bouncy self by tomorrow morning..."

Saturday meant business meetings and get-togethers masked as happy group outings. Thankfully Kaiba hadn't required Jonouchi to learn how to golf or something silly like that, but there was another party he'd have to go to. Drinking, food, drunk businessmen, and probably a few girlfriends, since wives hardly ever attended those kind of events. Kaiba didn't seem to care about it much, but Jonouchi still found it all really bizarre.

"Those Duel Monsters promoters from before are going to be at this lunch thing, aren't they?" Jonouchi asked before yawning.

"Of course. They may only promote at the local level, but they're well-connected within the industry," Kaiba confirmed as he turned a corner. The car continued to speed smoothly along.

"What about that weird Matsudaira guy? Will he be there, too?"

"Matsudaira? Not that I'm aware of. Why, taking an interest in balding, middle-aged men now?" Kaiba asked mildly.

"Don't joke," Jonouchi said as he finally turned and looked at Kaiba's face. He seemed completely concentrated on the road, his eyes not giving any kind of thought away beyond watching the street. "Who else will be there that I already know, then?"

"Probably not many others," Kaiba said, switching on his turn signal. "Most of the people you met at the anniversary party only come out for major events. This one won't nearly be as large, but some affiliates from Tokyo should be attending."

"Well, who should I know about, then?"

"There's Inoue," Kaiba said after a moment, "he always attends these kind of events just to parade his mistress around—he's not known for being very subtle. But he has a lot of international connections, so everyone tolerates his bullshit. Yamazaki will probably be there, as well. He's young—not much older than us. Tried his hand at the pro-dueling circuit but failed, so he transitioned to the organization side. He's the one who mostly manages Japan's national championships. Usui may or may not come. She's on the committee that determines ban lists and new rules. She's even less social of a person than myself, if you can imagine it."

"And why is that?" asked Jonouchi with a little bit of mild curiosity, "Is she unpopular or something? I can't see how a woman would actually be as unsocial as you, unless she was ugly or something..."

"She's actually quite striking," Kaiba replied with a short laugh. Bars of orange light washed over his face as they passed under the streetlamps lining the road leading to Jonouchi's neighborhood. "But her personality is severe. Efficient. Comes in, gets the work done, and then leaves. She rarely suffers these social events, unless she gets pressured by her higher-ups, but since she's not necessarily directly involved with the business end, she's not really required to attend these events, either."

"Then why does she come at all?" laughed Jonouchi, "Unless she secretly likes the attention and just is too shy to admit it." Crossing his arms, Jonouchi suddenly came up with a terrible yet amusing idea. "I'm sure I could get her to like me."

Sliding his eyes over to Jonouchi, Kaiba said, "Good luck with that. I actually haven't talked with her all that much. She's more of an...observer."

"If I can get you to like me, then anything is possible," boasted Jonouchi.

The car rolled to a stop. They were a couple streets away from Jonouchi's apartment complex. "Who said anything about liking you, Jonouchi?" Kaiba said quietly. His voice had been so soft that Jonouchi had almost missed it.

"Why else would you to spend the night with me willingly, if you didn't like me just a little bit," challenged Jonouchi as he snorted rather loudly, "besides the other things you've done. Be all tsundere if you want then, Kaiba. It's not a crime to enjoy someone's company beside your brother's."

"You're rather confident in that," Kaiba remarked as he leaned back into his seat, folding his hands in his lap. "But you're not wrong, either," he added, staring directly at Jonouchi.

"I'm never wrong about anything until I actually am," said Jonouchi with a sly grin, "so there. I knew I wasn't wrong about you, at least. So, will you come get me tomorrow, or will Isono pick me up here before that luncheon?"

There was a moment of hesitancy, Kaiba's gaze unflinching, and Jonouchi got the feeling that he was being assessed in some strange way. "I'll save Isono the trip. Make sure to be ready on time." Kaiba's eyes briefly flickered. "It would also probably be a good idea for you to get a haircut beforehand."

"Why don't you just take me some place to get it done, then?" suggested Jonouchi as he smirked at Kaiba, "Then you can tell the hairdresser exactly what you want, and I won't have to deal with you complaining if I get something you don't like."

Kaiba was way more concerned with outward appearances than Jonouchi ever was. He liked his hair somewhat long and unruly, but it wouldn't be appropriate while he was trying to come off as respectable in a business setting. Besides, Jonouchi didn't want any more reasons for people look at him strangely, since his hair was already a weird color that people thought he'd dyed on purpose. Sure, he'd bleached it back in his first year of high school, but that had been different...

"Ugh, I like my hair long," Jonouchi sighed as he ran his fingers through the back, "I just don't want to look like someone that I'm not..."

"You're an adult, Jonouchi. I already said before that you can choose your own hairstyle. Short of shaving it all off or getting some ridiculous perm, I don't really care what you do. You can keep your current style if you want—at least get it trimmed so that you look somewhat cultured."

"What, you don't think I could pull off the bald look?" asked Jonouchi teasingly.

There was a hint of a smirk tugging at Kaiba's lips. "Very few people can. And despite your considerable brawn, I wouldn't count you on that list."

Rolling his eyes, Jonouchi turned back to looking through the front window of the car. He didn't want to leave yet. Not only was it chilly outside, but the neighborhood was dark and uninviting, and for once in Jonouchi's life, he didn't quite feel like he belonged over there.

"What time are you planning to pick me up?" Jonouchi asked, quieting again as his mind trailed over the prospect of walking home in the dark.

"Eleven-thirty."

"Ahh, okay."

Suddenly, Jonouchi felt awkward as he clicked his seat belt free and started moving out of his place in the passenger seat. He could feel Kaiba's eyes on him, that steely, unflinching blue gaze, and feeling conflicted, he rushed to open the car and scrambled out, nearly tripping as he got his feet on the sidewalk.

"I had fun today," Jonouchi said as he felt more and more self-conscious standing there by the curb as Kaiba looked up at him from the driver's side of his sports car. "Just so you know. It wasn't so awful trying to be friends tonight, right?"

"I had a good time," Kaiba agreed, finally looking away. Jonouchi thought he caught a look of uncertainty cross Kaiba's face, but if he had, it was gone as soon as it had come.

"So... we'll do this again, right?"

When Kaiba turned back this time, his face was neutral and controlled again before a grin spread fully across his mouth. "As long as you don't try to amputate my arm again."

"Yeah sure, okay. It wasn't like I was doing that on purpose, anyways," replied Jonouchi as he rolled his eyes and fought back a smile. Shutting the door, he turned around and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans, staring down the dark streets he'd have to get past to reach his complex. His jeans were a tight fit; his hands barely made it in, but he still managed.

Turning back briefly to look at Kaiba's car, he waved before taking off at a quick trot down the street. He didn't want to get caught unawares on his side of the city, yet he didn't feel ready to leave there just quite yet, either.

* * *

Jonouchi was beginning to wonder whether he should start worrying. His father hadn't returned since the morning of their fight, and while his home life had been significantly less stressful and decidedly more pleasant without his father around, his absence was stretching into the realm of suspicion.

It wasn't like him to be gone for so long. Jonouchi didn't even want to think about where he could have possibly been staying. But there was always the chance that his father had fallen into further trouble, and the possibility filled Jonouchi with trepidation.

He didn't have much time to spare for worrying, though. Although he had gotten up early that morning, he'd had to wait at the barber shop, throwing off his entire schedule. Kaiba would be arriving in ten minutes' time if he was punctual (and he always was, the bastard), and Jonouchi didn't want to start off their day on a sour note.

Especially after they had had such a good time together the previous day.

Now, hair trimmed and wearing one of his better outfits just for the luncheon, he gritted his teeth as he ran from the barber shop over to the street corner where he knew Kaiba would be waiting. Thankfully the weather was mild, so Jonouchi didn't worry too much about sweating through his clothes, but it didn't help that his once nicely-pressed slacks had become somewhat wrinkled from running down four blocks to make it to Kaiba's car.

"You always get here right on time," Jonouchi panted as he opened the door and slid into his seat, strapping on the belt before finally looking at Kaiba's irritated face, "It wouldn't kill you to run behind for once in your life. I just got my hair cut."

"And you should learn to appreciate the value of punctuality," Kaiba replied dryly. He glanced over Jonouchi, that same almost-scrutinizing look from the night before. "Although at least you're improving on making yourself more presentable," he added.

"Oh?" noted Jonouchi, smirking as he moved closer and bumped Kaiba with his closest elbow, "Like my new haircut, huh? I thought you'd approve."

Kaiba just shook his head, starting the car as Jonouchi shut his door and started laughing loudly. He knew he was being obnoxious, but he couldn't help it. Usually Kaiba was just so sour, at least he didn't give Jonouchi a huge ear full for running—what, two minutes?—late because he got stuck at the barber shop longer than he had wanted.

His clothes still appeared decent, too. If he needed, he could probably borrow an iron and get some of the fresh wrinkles out, but it wasn't like he looked horrible. Just a bit ruffled from running down the street.

"How's your brother?" Jonouchi asked casually, looking back up at Kaiba as he stared through the front view window, eyes on the street, "Is he going to come to this thing, since he's back now? I thought he was the Vice President."

"He'll be just at the lunch. He's still much too young for any of the after-events."

"After-events?" snorted Jonouchi as he snickered at the comment over Mokuba being "much too young." "What are we going to be doing, playing strip poker with the investors or something?"

Kaiba gave Jonouchi a disapproving frown but didn't address the comment. "Whenever the Tokyo group is involved, they tend to desire more...adventurous gatherings. I hear this time, most of the old men have been clambering for a hostess club, although I haven't heard if that's actually happening…"

"Hostess club?" Didn't seem like an awful thing. He liked the party with the geiko; they were cool and he enjoyed flirting with girls. No doubt he'd get more attention than any of the old, nasty, crusty men would, so getting drunk silly by pretty females wasn't a terrible way to spend his weekend. "I thought you didn't care for those kind of get-togethers, since girls don't exactly appeal to you?"

"Prepare yourself to witness an exercise in necessity, Jonouchi," Kaiba said as he sped along the road, "It is of no consequence whether or not I enjoy these outings, but I don't expect you to know the finer details of conducting business. Besides, just because I prefer men doesn't mean I'm incapable of enjoying the company of women."

"Oh? Enlighten me."

Sighing, Kaiba quirked an eyebrow at Jonouchi before adjusting his sunglasses, "If someone proves themself capable of sustaining interesting conversation, then I'll allow it; it doesn't matter much to me what's between their legs. I'm not out to sleep with everyone I talk to."

"Don't you ever worry about what people will think if you never get a girlfriend, though?" asked Jonouchi innocently, "I mean, it's not like you're obvious, but still. People will wonder or just might think you're a robot, since you don't really look at _anyone_..."

Kaiba quickly flicked his gaze over to Jonouchi before focusing again on driving. "I don't care what they think, to be frank. It's really none of their business, and if anyone dares to demonstrate their 'concern,' I have no problem making that point painfully clear."

Not caring to upset Kaiba so early in the day, Jonouchi didn't reply. He sat back into his seat and stared out of the window, dropping the conversation altogether. Jonouchi certainly cared what other people thought of him, enough that he didn't like the idea of people trying to figure him out. It was confusing enough trying to understand his own thought process without other people getting involved... Besides, liking men wasn't socially acceptable. He didn't want to be anymore of an outcast than he was already.

"The new promo should be coming out soon," Kaiba offered after a period of silence. "I hear the Marketing team was very pleased with the final result."

"Oh."

Well, at least something went right. After having his face wailed on and dealing with that entire falling out with the different department teams because Jonouchi wasn't filmable, it was at least a relief that they were finally happy with their end result. Jonouchi would be glad when the entire thing was finally over. He didn't want to ever be reminded of that horrible situation, letting down all those people, because he couldn't keep his face away from his father's fists.

"You don't appear all that happy to hear it," Kaiba prodded, frowning again.

"I just feel bad about the whole deal with my face, that's all. The film crew hated me."

Kaiba snorted as he pulled up to the valet. "They'll get over it. They have contracts with all the major entertainment companies, so I'm sure they've had to deal with much worse. And since you assured me that the incident won't be repeated, there won't be a problem in the future."

"Yeah..."

With his father missing in action, Jonouchi was at least not having to worry about being assaulted at home by the drunkard. It made sense to switch out the locks while the old man was still missing so Jonouchi wouldn't have to deal with him coming back again, but he didn't have the heart to. It was frustrating. His apartment was actually decent, for once. Everything was clean, even his father's bedroom after going through it and throwing out all the trash. It made no sense whatsoever to allow Jonouchi senior back into the place when he just abused the privilege.

He didn't even pay rent. Jonouchi did it all alone.

Kaiba got out of the car, breaking his thoughts. They were parked in front of the Grand Hyatt in downtown Domino, and getting out of his side of the vehicle, Jonouchi stared up at the huge building before snapping out of it.

The valet was driving Kaiba's car away, and Kaiba was staring at him. "Are you coming?"

"Right." Speeding up, Jonouchi hurried and walked alongside Kaiba, trying to match strides as they headed toward the foyer.

The lobby was polished and sophisticated, rich shades of gold and red warming the clean lines of the modern decor. Shiny granite floors opened to a small seating area with low, mahogany furniture, and beyond it, Jonouchi could make out a row of ornate chandeliers leading toward the hotel's bar. Kaiba headed straight for the back hallway, ignoring a pair of large, strange, bi-colored sculptures that might have been faces. He bypassed the elevators completely, turning to the right when the hallway ended.

"Kaiba, you're walking too fast."

Jonouchi knew he wasn't going to slow down, though. Annoyed, he tried stepping up his pace, huffing a little before they finally reached what looked like a giant conference room. There were already a few dozen people there, mostly men in suits alongside pretty women in skirts and hotel staff with drinks and appetizers.

He hardly knew who anyone in the crowd was, save a handful of people who weren't really paying him any mind. Looking up at Kaiba briefly, he wondered what the point of being dragged to a party where no one talked to him even was, but he looked away and decided to just keep his mouth shut about it, since Kaiba would probably have some smart reply that would just make Jonouchi feel stupid if he bothered asking.

Scanning the room, Jonouchi wondered just where Kaiba had run off to so damn quickly. It wasn't hard to find him, though—Kaiba was easily one of the tallest people in the room, and he had been cornered by two rather raucous businessmen. They carried themselves with an air of self-importance, shiny, expensive watches peeking out from under even more expensive-looking suits, smoke tracing wide arcs and curves from their lit cigars as they gestured grandly.

Better to stay away, then. Kaiba's face was pinched tightly, as though the pair was grating on his last nerve, and he'd only just arrived. No use in potentially adding fuel to _that_ flame.

Finding nothing better to do, Jonouchi hovered by the entrance uncertainly, when he heard a familiar voice address him: "Hey, Jonouchi. Didn't expect to see you here."

Turning around, Jonouchi nearly smacked right into Mokuba, who was peering up at him. He wasn't quite as tall as Jonouchi was, but clearly he was getting there, standing up to Jonouchi's eyes. That was quite impressive, considering how young he still was, and Jonouchi was taken aback for a moment by how much he'd matured in the last few years, now seeing him working as a near-adult alongside his brother, attending a prestigious business gathering.

It was surprising, even though Jonouchi knew he shouldn't have been. Mokuba had always been competent, if a little arrogant in his abilities, not unlike his older brother.

"I thought your brother told you I was a sponsored player now," Jonouchi started as he tried resisting touching the back of his neck in that nervous manner of his, "He required me to come to this thing..."

"They say misery loves company," Mokuba laughed. "Nii-sama hates these things. I always go to be a sort of buffer, but I can only stay for so long before I get chased away. Still haven't figured out if I'm missing out on the fun, or if it's a blessing in disguise. Nii-sama never lets me in on the details."

"Really? How old are you now?"

"Just turned seventeen not too long ago," Mokuba replied with a sigh. "I know I'm still underage and all, but I'm nearly an adult!"

Jonouchi snorted. He didn't understand why Kaiba didn't just tell Mokuba what he was doing without him. It wasn't like Mokuba couldn't go snooping and find out himself, and besides, in a few years, it would no longer be such a mystery. It wasn't like much was censored in Domino City, anyways.

"We're going to a hostess club after lunch," Jonouchi hold him. "It's not as exciting as you think it is."

Mokuba's eyes grew wide and round. "I always knew those Tokyo guys were dogs," he said with a smirk. "Anyway, how do _you_ know what a hostess club is like?"

"Because _I've _been to one," announced Jonouchi with a smirk, "Or rather, I've snuck into them with fake IDs before. Like I said, it's not that exciting. Just hot girls flirting with you and trying to get you drunk so they can make you max out your credit card on drinks."

"I've never had to pay girls to flirt with me," Mokuba said thoughtfully, frowning. "Although I guess I can see why most of these guys would be into that," he continued, gazing apathetically around the room.

"Oh please," challenged Jonouchi as he rolled his eyes dramatically and placed his hands on his hips, "You don't have to pay girls to flirt with you, because they know how much money your name is attached to. Rich guys never have to work that hard at it. Come down to my level, and then you'll see how hard it can be, and a girlie club won't seem so bad anymore. Trust me."

Mokuba clutched a hand to his chest in mock disbelief, "What, you're saying my dazzling wit wasn't what was enchanting the ladies all this time? You're disillusioning me, Jonouchi!"

As if the brat wasn't aware. Jonouchi gave him a flat look, trying to hide his amusement. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Kaiba finishing up his little chat with the two older businessmen, and the staff was starting to usher people to sit down at the different tables.

"Ah, I think that's our cue that lunch is starting. Good luck, Jonouchi!" Mokuba exclaimed, trotting off with a short wave.

"Hey, wait-"

Mokuba was already gone, though, when Jonouchi tried to call him back. He had no idea where to sit, and blindly picking a table, he took a seat where there wasn't anyone as people started playing musical chairs around the conference room. Tapping his fingers on the polished wood lightly, he hoped he wouldn't be left alone to fend for himself. Jonouchi didn't know anyone beyond a handful of people in attendance, and he certainly didn't remember everything about them from before.

Looked like Kaiba wasn't coming to his aid, either—his table was across the room and already completely full. A few tables away, the last seat at Mokuba's table had just been snapped up. Jonouchi thought it was a little peculiar that none of them, especially the brothers, were sitting together. He figured Kaiba would want him latched onto his side again, at least to monitor anything coming out of his mouth. Maybe he'd ask Kaiba about it later…

He would be on his own, then. Covertly taking a deep breath, Jonouchi exhaled slowly and rubbed his palms up and down his thighs. He could do this.

"You must be Kaiba Corporation's Jonouchi-san." A young man with sandy brown hair and a dusting of pale freckles across his nose and cheeks sat down next to Jonouchi, extending his hand with a smile.

"Y-yes, you must be...Yamazaki-sama…?" Jonouchi guessed, clasping the offered hand and shaking.

The other man's face lit up, light brown eyes warm as he laughed, "Oh! So you've already heard of me. Well, here is my card. And allow me to introduce my date—this is the lovely-"

"Mai!?" Jonouchi spluttered, almost rising from his chair as Mai approached their table, daintily taking the seat next to Yamazaki.

"Jonouchi? What are you doing here!" she exclaimed, her voice rising a tad bit higher than it probably should have. Thankfully, neither of them were socially conscious enough at that point to really care, and Jonouchi found himself smiling before he could stop himself.

"I'm a sponsored Duelist now," he explained, "by Kaiba Corporation, actually. It's a long story to explain; how do you two know each other?"

"Yamazaki-kun and I go way back," Mai replied, waving a manicured hand, "We met a few years ago at a tournament we both were playing in."

"She means to say, she wiped the floor with me," Yamazaki added with a sheepish grin.

Mai's laughter rang through the air. "Nonsense! Anyway, we run into each other now and again, since Yamazaki-kun is in charge of running a ton of tournaments, and I get a lot of MC gigs. But tell me, Jonouchi, this sponsorship! A _KaibaCorp_ sponsorship! I never thought I'd see the day where Kaiba would work with you willingly, let alone for his own company."

"I don't really completely understand why he gave it to me," said Jonouchi as he watched servers begin to trickle into the room with appetizers and tea, filling glasses and sending huge trays of fresh seafood around the different tables for people to try, "but I'm definitely not going to complain about it. I'm only a six-star Duelist, I need at least one regional championship before I can be considered a seven."

Jonouchi had a feeling the explanation Kaiba had given hadn't been completely honest. Kaiba wasn't the most rational person when it came to dealing with people he disliked. It didn't seem possible that he "saw promise" in Jonouchi when he'd lost that competition, and Kaiba probably had some strange ulterior motive he'd since dropped. It wasn't in Kaiba's nature to do anything out of kindness, and taking Jonouchi on despite his unimpressive ranking was rather generous.

"But I'm getting better," Jonouchi added, "I've been practicing every day, and I can see myself improving. I'm thinking through my moves better and stopped being so impulsive when I duel."

"Well, you always were the lucky one," Mai remarked as she scrutinized one of the circulating trays of food. Bypassing the seafood spread, she opted for a soup spoon full of ikura oroshi. "And it's never a good idea to question Kaiba's motives," she continued, popping the appetizer into her mouth, "I wouldn't want to fish around in his brain like that."

"I'm not fishing around, but I do sometimes wonder..."

How could Jonouchi not be curious? Every time they'd run into each other before had been somewhat hostile, with Kaiba clearly trying to disappear on Jonouchi because he didn't want anything to do with him... Save the weird incident when he showed up at Yugi's shop. _That _didn't make too much sense, but Jonouchi didn't want to think too hard about that.

"He's a strange one," suggested Jonouchi, "Maybe we should all just leave it at that."

"Really?" Yamazaki piped in, "Kaiba-sama's always appeared normal to me. I mean, yes, he can be quiet at times...but I've never thought of him as strange."

"You're too good of a guy, Yamazaki-kuuun," Mai cried, giving his arm a sharp squeeze. Jonouchi noticed Yamazaki's ears take on a light pink shade, but he had the good sense to hold his tongue.

"You haven't known him since high school, Yamazaki-sama. He's pretty damn strange."

Waving his hand in front of his face, Yamazaki replied, "Oh, no need for such formalities, Jonouchi-san! But I'll take your word on it. Admittedly, I don't know Kaiba-sama all too well, but he's always been very cordial to me."

Jonouchi didn't comment on that. He didn't need a reason to turn sour while discussing his boss, because Kaiba had never been cordial with him until recently... Well, until Kaiba apparently decided he wanted to sleep with him. That was not a thought Jonouchi wanted in his head at the moment.

"Anyway, how's your sister doing? Now that I think of it, I don't think I've seen her since Battle City…"

"She's alright," replied Jonouchi as he started nibbling on the appetizers to give himself something to do with his hands besides play with them on his lap. "Haven't seen her much since she's staying with my mother, but that's not exactly new. I call her once a week to keep up with things."

Their mother just made things so difficult at times. Not only was she still demanding alimony from Jonouchi senior even though she knew he didn't have the funds to pay her, she also refused to allow Shizuka to visit in Domino. Not since Battle City, and whatever hope Jonouchi had at rekindling things after Shizuka's eye surgery had been a success was all for naught. He had been met with a strange coldness from Kawai, and now Jonouchi was sure nothing would ever change between them.

Shizuka didn't even call from home. She had to use a friend's cell phone to make her weekly updates, in case her mother decided to snoop around.

Mai frowned, her eyebrows drawing down in displeasure. "That's pretty messed up, Jonouchi. You were the one who helped your sister out; you would think your mother would act...better."

"She's a funny person. There's no changing her, ever."

There was no point in being upset about it anymore. She wasn't ever going to change her mind about Jonouchi. He was sure she'd given up on him long ago, back in his last year of middle school. It was his fault for putting a kid in the hospital after a particularly bad gang fight, but she refused to forgive him. Life was already hard enough from the divorce, but then she had literally split from his life for good.

Jonouchi wasn't going to dwell on that, though. It was what life dealt for him.

"Yamazaki-san better have weird parents, too, or I'll feel like the odd guy here..."

Yamazaki laughed, pointing at himself, "Oh, me? I'd have to say, mine are pretty typical. Mom's a homemaker; dad's a salaryman. He spent a lot of time overseas, though. Still does."

"Overseas where?" asked Jonouchi, "Like Australia or somewhere farther away?"

"Mostly in Europe, and sometimes the United States. He works for a company that manufactures string instruments, so they market heavily in countries with large and numerous orchestras."

How upper class. Jonouchi fought back snorting, keeping his face neutral as Mai started going on and on about it. It all sounded very...snobbish to him. More culture than he was accustomed to, at least. No wonder Kaiba was so cordial with Yamazaki: they were cut from the same cloth, so to speak. It was no wonder they got along, being the way they were.

"So, if your dad was into selling instruments and your mom stayed at home with you, how did you manage to get into Duel Monsters," asked Jonouchi as he started eating with a bit more enthusiasm as the actual lunch started to be served.

Kaiba had liked games before Duel Monsters, so his involvement made some sense. Mai worked in a casino on a cruise ship, so she was probably familiar with all sorts of card games before deciding to settle on Duel Monsters, too. Yamazaki must have had some interesting reasoning for picking such a peculiar game...

Yamazaki pushed the food around on his plate before stabbing at a slice of tomato. "I don't have any siblings, so I spent a lot of time with my cousin as a kid. My father was a bit dismayed that I had no musical talent, and I really didn't have many hobbies growing up, so when my cousin introduced me to the game, my father was delighted." Taking a bite, Yamazaki chewed thoughtfully before continuing, "I didn't really get it at first; I thought the artwork looked pretty cool, but my cousin was super into it. So I guess I just kind of naturally developed a love for it, too."

"-You thought the artwork looked pretty," Jonouchi parroted.

Blinking, he glanced at Mai, who only smiled. The last thing Jonouchi ever thought about while playing Duel Monsters was the damn artwork. It was about creating something that was his, a reflection of himself. The process was strenuous, thanks to Mutou-san's extreme teaching, but Jonouchi's deck had been a reflection of his heart. He'd put everything he had into it, and when it came down to it, the silly game had gotten him out of his bad situation with the gang and was probably a major factor in why Jonouchi wasn't stuck in some jail...

"Oh Jonouchi, not everyone can be as completely devoted over something they just tried like you," chided Mai as she rolled her eyes, "Some people grow to love things over time. You should try it. It makes you appreciate things in new ways."

"Yeah okay, Mai," Jonouchi answered somewhat sarcastically, rolling his eyes playfully before eating a bit of food again, "I guess when I like something, I know it. I get that feeling in my gut, and there's no confusion over it."

"Always?" Mai asked teasingly. "I've liked things...and people, too—with certainty that ended up being bad for me. I guess we're not all as lucky," she winked.

"Nope." If he wasn't surrounded by so many businessmen, Jonouchi would have stuck out his tongue just to be snot, but he didn't dare at the moment. He had no idea who was watching, and Kaiba probably still had at least one eye on him, even if he was on the other side of the room where Jonouchi couldn't even see him.

"I've liked things that were bad for me," said Jonouchi after further thought, "and bad people, but it was for the wrong reasons, and I knew that at the time. I just didn't know any better, if that makes any sense. But I know when something's right, I can feel it in my gut, and it was like that with Duel Monsters. I knew right away that was the game for me, even if I was terrible at it and made my first deck with only monster cards..."

Embarrassing. Mai started laughing, trying to mute herself with the palm of her hand.

"I got better."

"Mm, indeed," Mai agreed. "You even managed to beat me during Duelist Kingdom, and that was your first major tournament," she sighed. "But enough about _cards_. So, have you felt that undeniable passion towards any girls since the last time I saw you?" Mai batted her eyes flirtatiously and smirked.

"Nope."

"_What_?" Mai exclaimed in disbelief, her face falling flat. "That's sort of...disappointing to hear," she pouted, "_No one's_ caught your eye in the slightest?"

Sighing loudly, Jonouchi slumped a little in his seat before catching himself, "I don't know, Mai, it's not really something I think about. Sometimes I see girls and I talk to them, but not much happens after that. I'm too busy for girls, anyways."

"What a shame," Mai remarked as she stirred her cocktail and brought the tiny straw to her lips. "You're young, Jonouchi—you needn't work so hard."

Of course Mai would say something like that. She'd been wealthy her entire life. Jonouchi was sure she had no idea what paying off a debt was like, since her life was pretty charmed despite the tragedy of her parents' passing. Money had never been an issue for her.

"I work for Kaiba now, so that's not really an option," joked Jonouchi. At least that was an easy escape out of having to further explain himself.

Mai cast her eyes over at Kaiba's direction before quickly turning back to Jonouchi. "And that's another problem. You shouldn't be dragged down by his bad habits. He's another young one who needs to learn not to work so damn much."

"Mai, he's never going to change, and you know that..."

She sighed loudly, her eyebrows furrowing once again as she took a long sip of her drink. "I thought you were going to work on him about that."

"I tried. Kinda."

"'_Kinda_'? You seemed so enthusiastic before; it's not like you to half-ass anything," Mai said, raising an eyebrow.

Jonouchi shrugged in response. The last thing he wanted to talk about in-depth was his relationship with Kaiba. He barely understood it, and his friends certainly didn't need to know about what had been occurring between them frequently as of late. It wasn't any of their business, for one, and Jonouchi still felt ashamed over it, when he thought back to it.

"Mai, you can't change a person if they don't want to change, you know..."

Mai leaned forward to rest her elbows upon the table, lacing her fingers together to cradle her chin. "You're right, I suppose...but—isn't that what friends are for? To be that good influence, so that people will want to change for themselves? I think that sometimes, people don't even know any better." She grew quiet, lost in her own thoughts.

"Maybe..."

Jonouchi hadn't changed until Yugi had come along and had guided him. Kaiba wanted Jonouchi to be his friend, so that was at least something, too. He could just be so difficult and completely unpredictable...

Yamazaki cleared his throat, smiling as he sipped on his cup of tea, "Do you two always have such deep conversations, or am I just in for a treat today?"

A large smile broke across Mai's face. "We blonds are more complex than we're often given credit for being. But no, not usually," she laughed, "It's just been a while since we've seen each other."

"Not my fault, though," snorted Jonouchi as he waved his hand in a mocking gesture, "Mai prefers to hang around cultured folk."

Mai tsked at Jonouchi, swatting him on the forearm, "Oh, please! You're my best friend, Jonouchi, and you've been MIA for months! It would do you well to have a teensy-bit more culture, anyway, although I see Kaiba's been working on that," she said as she eyed him up and down.

"Are you talking about my clothes?" asked Jonouchi as he cocked an eyebrow, "It was all done against my will, I swear."

"Well remind me to _thank him_ for finally getting you out of those sacks of fabric you called clothes," Mai replied airily.

"They were comfortable, at least, even if a little torn... This new stuff can be so stiff sometimes and I don't get why 'cultured guys' have to wear their pants so damn tight. I prefer being able to breathe, thank you very much."

Yamazaki started laughing, the man failing to hide it behind his hand as Mai giggled in response. Jonouchi knew he couldn't get away with talking so brash-like if he had Kaiba alongside him or some more rigid guests at their table, but since it was just Mai and her young date, he didn't care enough to censor his mouth.

"Have you ever noticed how often Kaiba wears leather pants," Jonouchi exclaimed, "It's ridiculous. How can anyone live like that?"

How could Kaiba walk around comfortable with his balls unable to breathe? That's what Jonouchi wanted to know. Maybe at one point, he entertained the thought that Kaiba was a robot and had no private parts to worry about, but now he knew that wasn't exactly the case, and it wasn't like Kaiba's junk was small, either...

"Mai, you've worn leather," Jonouchi pointed out as he stuffed his mouth with a piece of sushi, "How did you do it?"

"Boots and skirts are easier to deal with than pants, so you can't really compare them," Mai observed, leaning back in her seat. "I suppose Kaiba's just used to it."

"But why?"

Did he just enjoy torturing himself or something...

"Because they're versatile, and I don't have to put much thought into them." The sudden closeness of Kaiba's voice nearly made Jonouchi jump out of his seat. "Should I even ask why my choice in apparel is the topic of discussion?"

"Because it is," Jonouchi answered flatly, trying not to show his shock too much on his face. "What are you doing here?"

"You act as though I require an invitation to check in with my employee," Kaiba stated. "Yamazaki. Kujaku." He acknowledged them with a short nod of his head.

"You could not sneak around like you're trying to catch me doing something illegal," Jonouchi shot back, "I still don't understand how you can wear leather pants all the time... They don't even look comfortable. Besides, that's just giving folks an invitation to stare at your ass."

Yamazaki started laughing again as Kaiba's expression went sour. Mai stifled a laugh, and Jonouchi just folded his arms and stared up at Kaiba with a challenging expression, although he wasn't sure why he was even pressing the issue at this point. It was a stupid thing to fight over, really. It wasn't his business how Kaiba decided to dress himself.

"Is that a confession?" Kaiba asked pointedly as his expression melted back to neutral, a dark humor tugging the corner of his mouth up in a small smirk.

"What?" Jonouchi felt his face change from surprised to angry in mere seconds. His face was burning, and he had a strong desire to disappear in a hole somewhere to die as Mai snickered. Thankfully, the comment flew past Yamazaki completely, who was distracted by someone talking over his shoulder to hear Kaiba's teasing, which was a blessing. Jonouchi didn't enjoy those kind of jokes being thrown in his face.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but no, Kaiba_-sama. _Your ass doesn't hold much interest for me."

"Then please refrain from including it in your discussions." He looked down at his watch. "Ofuda from Industrial Illusions will make his presentation in fifteen minutes, and afterward, I hear we're being moved to a different room."

Turning his back to Kaiba, Jonouchi just sipped on his water angrily as he waited for Kaiba's presence to disappear. The party was just so boring to him. There was only Mai and Yamazaki to talk to, and apparently they were the only handful of people in the room who were Jonouchi's own age or close. The lady Kaiba spoke about earlier that day was there, too, and while she was pretty, she also looked like someone had stuck shit up her nose, her expression was so uncomfortable. Clearly, she didn't want to be there.

"Yamazaki, I trust I'll speak with you later?" Yamazaki stammered an affirmative, and then Kaiba stalked off, probably to terrorize someone else (most likely his brother).

Jonouchi sat there in a funk for the greater part of the rest of the luncheon. The conversation never really picked up after Kaiba's interruption, Mai and Yamazaki speaking to each other (or rather, flirting) while Jonouchi continued to pick at food out of boredom. Once the presentation started, Jonouchi struggled to keep awake through the damn thing. Business talk was boring, and he wondered how the hell he managed to get a job where he had to listen to white collars talk about themselves—it was nearly unbearable...

Thankfully, the room was dark as slideshow continued on. Mai didn't seem too amused by the talk of Duel Monster sales trends either, and even Yamazaki was nodding off a little, although he was good at hiding it. Jonouchi wondered for a moment how Kaiba could even sit through these things on a daily basis when it finally ended and the lights turned on again. Blinking a few times, he rubbed his eyes before they finally adjusted.

A plump, rather squat man with round glasses appeared behind the podium. "Greetings, I am Maeda from Industrial Illusions. Thank you for attending our luncheon today. If you would please follow the attendants out to the next room, the evening entertainment will begin shortly." And then he waddled off, jovially shaking hands with a myriad of waiting businessmen.

A loud, steady murmur rose throughout the room as tables were vacated and people began to wander off to mingle and relocate. Jonouchi dreaded having to endure several more hours in the dry company of businessmen, but he resigned himself to what awaited him. It wasn't like he could just ditch (Kaiba would no doubt be furious if he tried). But it also didn't mean that he would have to suffer Kaiba's presence the entire night, either—it appeared his leash was rather long for this function, and Jonouchi was determined to take full advantage of that fact. With any luck, he could avoid Kaiba entirely for the rest of the event and only have to deal with him on the ride home. Not entirely bad prospects.

It just amazed Jonouchi how Kaiba could shift from being almost pleasant to nearly intolerable from one moment to the next. He didn't know how to reconcile the two: the human, surprisingly considerate and reflective Kaiba he caught only in glimpses and the calculating, aloof Kaiba who seemed to have ice in his veins. Jonouchi just didn't understand how he was supposed to be friends with him when Kaiba kept changing who he was on an hourly basis...

Thankfully, he didn't have to worry about it for much longer. They were all ushered into a huge, dark room with a bar, dimly lit by neon lights, where at least two dozen ladies in matching black cocktail dresses waited lined up across the room with glasses and liquor in hand. Most of the men clapped their hands at the sight and began to crowd around the hostesses.

Mai was laughing, and Yamazaki was shaking his head like he was embarrassed by the scene. Mokuba had disappeared, and Jonouchi, not finding anyone to converse with, just found an empty table and sat down, trying not to let his boredom show.

Who was he fooling? Jonouchi knew right away that he didn't belong with those people. They were all like leeches, latching onto the girls who were at least half their ages as they began to drink excessively. The noise level of the room was growing, and Jonouchi could feel his irritation rising with it.

Why did Kaiba make him come? What was the exact point?

Kaiba had parked himself next to Yamazaki, and they along with Mai were conversing easily, largely ignoring the spectacle around them. Score one for Jonouchi, then, although his irritation curiously spiked at the sight of the three.

He didn't have long to be alone with his thoughts. One of the girls plopped down in the empty seat next to him, scooting close. Her dress rode high on her thighs, her soft skin pressing up against Jonouchi's own thigh. The combination of a push-up bra and low-cut neckline put the hostess's cleavage on obvious display, and Jonouchi could smell the clean, floral scent of her perfume above the pervasive scent of alcohol.

"You look so lonely," the hostess chirped, grinning up at him.

"I hate these kind of events," Jonouchi complained as he smiled a little at her, "I don't belong in this kind of crowd. Did you come over here to entertain me now?"

"Of course!" she practically bounced. "It's a party, so you have to be happy! Can Arisu get you a drink?"

"Go for it," answered Jonouchi lightly, "whatever is your favorite is fine by me."

"Hmm...then I hope you're a beer man," she winked, "My regular clients all drink sake or other liquor, so I never get to drink it! Be right back." Arisu squeezed Jonouchi's arm before sauntering off to the bar, chatting excitedly with the bartender and a few other hostesses.

Returning to the table with two extra-tall pilsner glasses in hand, she set one in front of Jonouchi and sidled up to him again, smiling. Two additional hostesses attached themselves to Jonouchi's table, their own drink glasses in hand. "I hope you don't mind—I brought some friends!" Arisu beamed. "This is Rui-chan," she said, gesturing to a girl with short blonde hair and high cheekbones, "and this is Erika-chan," she gestured at another girl with light brown hair pulled up into a fluffy ponytail. "And I don't think I mentioned it formally before, but my name is Arisu," she said, pointing up at herself before tossing her long auburn curls behind her shoulder.

"That is three names more than I can usually remember at once," Jonouchi joked as he smiled at them each, "but I'll try to remember all that. Since we're all being informal here, my name is Katsuya. And yes, my hair is naturally blond," he teased as he took his beer and drank some of it for show, "so don't think I'm one of those urban types that's trying to seem cool. I'm just here because I was told to."

"Wow, how lucky, Katsuya-kun!" Rui cried. "I have to dye my hair monthly, and you were gifted with such a gorgeous shade!"

"A gorgeous shade?" laughed Jonouchi as he touched his hair shyly before he felt his face begin to warm up a little. "I always got made fun of it during school. Once I dyed it peroxide blond, so people wouldn't think I was some pansy. Kinda silly now, I guess, trying to hide my mixed heritage."

Arisu grinned at him, "Rui-chan's a hair stylist during the day. But we all think you look really cool!" She batted her eyelashes at him as the other two girls nodded enthusiastically. "So tell us, Katsuya-kun, what you're mixed with? It's quite the mystery!"

"American. It's not really that interesting. I got the hair from my dad."

Glancing around the room, Jonouchi caught eyes with Kaiba from a few tables down. He was still sitting with Yamazaki and Mai, but he didn't seem as interested in their conversation any longer. His eyes constricted, and Jonouchi sharply looked away, throwing all his attention back towards the girls.

"So, what I want to know is why you ladies all decided to become hostesses," asked Jonouchi as he drank from his beer some more, "I wouldn't want to deal with all these balding salarymen who probably can't even get their dicks up anymore. I bet the money is good, and the drinking even better, but damn. Some of these guys are such a bore."

Rui leaned forward on the small table, grinning, "It's actually pretty fun! It's a great way to meet a lot of people and make a lot of connections, too."

Arisu nodded. "Yup! And the secrets you get to hear, too! Erika-chan's been a hostess the longest out of all of us, so I'm sure she's swimming in tons of juicy tales!" Erika just returned a small smile and sipped her cocktail daintily. "And occasionally, we get to hang out with some nice-looking guys like yourself, so it all works out." Arisu winked at him, lightly brushing a hand down his thigh.

"Wow, and here I thought I looked like something pulled out of the streets," snorted Jonouchi as he shook his head, "I don't think I'll ever feel comfortable around these high society types. You see that woman sitting over there with the dirty-blond guy and the brown-haired man with the permanent scowl on his face?" Kaiba wasn't actually scowling, but Jonouchi didn't care. "She probably has more money than half the people in this room. She's gorgeous, too. But I don't think the hair is natural."

"Hmm...do you fancy her?" Erika asked lightly.

"I used to," answered Jonouchi honestly. "I used to think about her a lot. She's my best friend, actually. Spoiled and kind of vain, but she's a good person and I love her like a sister. But she fits in this place, and I—alas—" said Jonouchi dramatically, as he slumped in his chair with his beer in hand, "do not."

It was probably a good thing Jonouchi had gotten over her. The fascination was only skin-deep while in high school, and he could no longer imagine having an actual relationship with Mai. He wasn't as into her as he had once believed, and she intimidated him a lot. It was embarrassing to realize, but he had no idea what he'd do with so much woman, and besides that, they wouldn't make each other happy. Mai needed someone who was educated and smart and could give her all the pretty things she liked, and Jonouchi knew he wasn't that kind of guy.

She was a society girl.

"Then how did you end up here?" Rui asked as she played with the rim of her cup, eyes sympathetic.

"The dark-haired guy sitting with her," Jonouchi said, his tone darkening a little, "It's entirely his doing."

The three girls turned their heads once again to glance over at Kaiba's table. "He's handsome, but he looks so sullen!" Arisu giggled. "You don't sound so happy about him. But that still doesn't explain what you're doing here."

"You guys don't know who he is," Jonouchi marveled, blinking as he drank from his beer some more. "That's Kaiba Seto, the CEO of Kaiba Corporation, and unfortunately, my boss. He hates this stuff, but he makes me come along with him to every single damn event, it seems... I think he does it to spite me."

Erika crossed her legs, playing with the ice in her cup. Somehow another tall glass of beer had appeared before Jonouchi. "We don't make a habit of researching our clients," she smiled.

"Yeah! We like to get to know them more naturally," Rui agreed.

Arisu leaned into Jonouchi's side, "Are you not enjoying our company?" she asked coyly, sticking her bottom lip out a little.

"How could I not enjoy the company of beautiful women?" laughed Jonouchi loudly, "I just wish this was happening in some bar out in town instead of a stuffy hotel."

Reaching into her small handbag, Erika produced a tiny business card and slid it over to Jonouchi. "That could be arranged," she smiled, "We all work at Club Midnight. Come visit us sometime."

"When do you ladies ever sleep, then?" He took the card, though, sticking it into his pocket before smiling at them all. "I used to sneak into hostess clubs back in high school. I had this crappy fake ID and would go get fucked up there before being hauled out by some angry bouncer. God, I don't even remember how I never got caught. It wasn't like I looked old enough to be there, you know."

"You must be very lucky, then! But, you don't need to worry about that anymore. So let's drink up!" Arisu exclaimed, raising her glass.

Jonouchi started on his other beer, smiling as he drank down half the glass. He wondered how the girls stayed skinny with all the booze they were downing, but maybe they just worked out really hard on their off-hours. He was too shy to ask.

"Last time I had to go to one of these things, we actually had geiko at the party. I had never even seen one before up close. One of them made me sing for her and tried to teach me how to play her instrument, but I can't carry a tune to save my life," sighed Jonouchi, "I think she was only trying to be polite."

"We should test that theory out later, when the karaoke machines arrive," Erika teased.

"There's a karaoke machine coming?" Jonouchi made a face before laughing, "Isn't that a little cheesy?"

Erika laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. "I hear Maeda-sama specifically requested it. He loves to let loose at these events. By the end of the night, his tie will be around his head, and he'll have become quite the mic-hog," she giggled.

"The fat guy, right?"

He shouldn't have said that so loudly. A few people turned and looked at him before returning to their conversations, "Whatever. If I have to sing in front of all these people, one of you girls is gonna go up there with me."

"We'll all be cheering you on. I'll even play the tambourine for you," Arisu grinned, bumping her shoulder into Jonouchi's.

"Nah, I think you should go up there with me," said Jonouchi excitedly, grabbing Arisu by the waist since he was working on his third beer now and all reservations were gone, "I bet you'd sound lovely up there and might save me from possible humiliation. Don't tell me you're shy now."

Arisu let out a surprised shriek of laughter, bracing a hand on Jonouchi's knee. The conversation shifted over musicians and favorite songs and the merits of enka (passionately argued by Rui), becoming more rowdy as the collection of empty glasses on the table began to grow. Jonouchi could feel eyes on him, but he didn't care. He once made the mistake of glancing around the room, and his eyes had locked with Kaiba's for a brief moment before he turned brusquely away. Let him stew in his own misery; Jonouchi was having fun for once, and he wasn't going to let Kaiba's glowering bring his mood down.

As predicted, a karaoke setup arrived midway through the night, and Jonouchi managed to warble his way through one song before Maeda wrangled the mic from the rest of the party, as predicted. It had been an oddly liberating experience, and the girls had all chimed in whenever he'd faltered, eliciting streams of laughter all around.

Jonouchi had been so absorbed that he'd barely even noticed when the party had started to wind down, and the club proprietor had stepped in to collect his girls.

"That's our signal," Arisu sighed, wobbly rising from the table. Jonouchi rose as well, steadying her, although he wasn't exactly a pillar of stability, either. "Next time you're feeling lonely, call me," she said, pressing a small slip of paper discreetly into his hand and leaning in to give him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Yeah, okay," Jonouchi answered sheepishly. He waved as the girls left him, and sitting back down, he stared at the phone number as the men in the background started hollering over the ladies leaving the party.

He couldn't remember the last time a girl gave him her number. Especially an attractive, desirable girl. Someone Honda would have been dying to have on his arm, but it was Jonouchi who had caught her attention. Jonouchi couldn't exactly recall doing anything in particular to make himself likeable; all throughout high school, the girls typically avoided him. He didn't know how to function with them, but apparently he had charm now.

Huh.

"_Besides, just because I prefer men doesn't mean I'm incapable of enjoying the company of women._"

Jonouchi shook that thought out of his mind. He didn't want Kaiba's voice in his head, trying to tell him how to think. The real Kaiba was confusing enough. Now was not the time for second guessing himself. Pocketing the note, Jonouchi placed it next to Erika's business card. Maybe he would call her up sometime. There was no reason on earth not to, especially since she clearly liked him.

"It's time to go." For the second time that night, Kaiba materialized behind his shoulder, seemingly from nowhere. He had a slight frown on his face, a tiny wrinkle creasing between his eyebrows. He didn't seem angry, but Jonouchi, even through his drunken haze, could detect there was something off about his mood. Was he upset? No, that couldn't be it—Kaiba never got upset. Unless it involved his brother, but Mokuba had been gone since lunch.

"Okay. I'll call a taxi, then."

He got up, catching himself as he tried to steady his feet before Jonouchi started walking towards the exit.

Kaiba grabbed him under the arm, balancing him. "I don't think there are any taxis that will venture into your neighborhood at this time of night. I'll drive you home."

Jonouchi's head felt clouded, but he knew enough to know that Kaiba's car couldn't drop him off in front of his apartment. It was too damn flashy. A taxi could take him just as far and spare him the ride, but he didn't feel like arguing with Kaiba over it. He already looked like he was in a piss-poor mood.

"Okay, fine," Jonouchi sighed, "Lead the way, then."


	19. Chapter 19

Everything about it had been utterly preposterous, Kaiba decided as he poured his second cup of coffee. He was nursing a small headache, and while the coffee only made it marginally better, it was still better than nothing. He was mildly annoyed that he even woke with a headache to begin with. He hadn't drunk all that much the night before, but he hadn't eaten much the entire day, either, and so the imbalance in his stomach had screwed him over afterward.

Wandering over to his study, Kaiba pushed back the curtains to the large window at the back of the room and climbed up onto the window seat, cradling the warm mug between his hands.

He'd barely spoken to Jonouchi during both work events. It had been a conscious decision—to give Jonouchi his space instead of keeping him so close by like before. While Jonouchi wasn't yet completely trained in socializing appropriately during business gatherings, Kaiba knew he'd be too busy to babysit him like before. He was used to splitting up while working with Mokuba, who understood what was expected of him. It was easier to work a party efficiently when he didn't have to drag someone alongside him all night, and besides, Isono was right.

"_Perhaps it would be_—prudent—_to allow some distance_."

He'd tried hard to do that. Jonouchi had stuck by Mai and Yamazaki the entire lunch, which was a safe crowd. That way, he wouldn't manage to offend anyone that really mattered, and Kaiba thought everything would go smoothly just like that. He had kept away and had just watched from the corner of his eyes, trying to put some trust into Jonouchi's abilities that he wouldn't make a fool of himself or Kaiba's name since becoming a bit more educated after being picked up as a sponsored Duelist.

Kaiba had anticipated that Jonouchi would have joined the three of them after the room switch, but instead the latter had decided to occupy his own little table along with whatever mood he had gotten himself into. And Kaiba had allowed it—if Jonouchi wanted to sulk by himself for whatever reason, let him. It wasn't like any of the attendees would remember anything after drinking themselves silly.

And then the girls had come.

One had attached herself to Jonouchi almost immediately, and then two more had followed. And then the night had progressed, and the first girl had practically been sitting in Jonouchi's lap at one point, and the idiot probably didn't even recognize that he was getting hit on. It was an irritating situation to watch unfold—Jonouchi and the girls laughing loudly, the former acting as though he were interested. Obviously, he had been enjoying himself—what man wouldn't want to be praised and deemed interesting by a gaggle of attractive women? But Jonouchi was so passive, it was ridiculous. A beautiful woman was throwing herself at him, and Jonouchi didn't really seem to care, nor did he do a thing about it.

And he claimed to be interested in women.

It was such a joke, and Kaiba found his irritation boiling into anger as the night had gone on. He had sat there and watched Jonouchi, only paying the slightest bit of attention to the conversation around him to remain polite. But every time the hostess had touched a hand against Jonouchi, or had leaned in close to smile or laugh, Kaiba felt his anger spike, twisting uncomfortably in his gut. He had felt the completely unreasonable urge to yank Jonouchi away, to just leave the party behind, and the sudden bout of possessiveness made Kaiba's blood run cold.

It didn't make any sense.

Until it had.

Groaning, Kaiba brought his knees close to his chest and knocked his forehead against them. He was such an idiot. Both of them were complete idiots, and wasn't that the irony? Kaiba sighed and leaned against the window, feeling doomed and uncertain and the tiniest bit of joy all at once.

He was completely, utterly fucked.

* * *

Usually Jonouchi was a morning person, but today, he wasn't quite ready to rise so soon. His head hurt, and he drank too much the night before. It didn't help either that he had had a run-in with his father right after walking through the door, Jonouchi senior looking him up and down with a scrutinizing gaze the younger blond did not appreciate.

"Where did you get the clothes from?" he'd asked, and Jonouchi sighed before going to the faucet for water.

"My new job. They gave me a clothes allowance, and we had a dinner party that required me to dress up. That's all."

"New job, eh?" The old man had chuckled in a patronizing manner, leaning against the kitchen counter as he scowled and shook his head, "My son, the salaryman. What a damn shame."

"A shame?"

Twisting around, Jonouchi drank down all his water at once before slamming his glass down on the counter. He nearly broke the damn thing, the base clipping from the force.

"A shame?" Jonouchi repeated. "It's a shame that I'm finally making some decent money and can get out of this shit-hole you put me in? You've never approved of anything I've tried to do with my life. I'm not going to stay in this ghetto with you, Oyaji. I deserve better."

"Your job at the garage was fine. A real man's job, working with your hands and getting dirty. What do you do now, Katsuya? Wipe some rich man's ass in that fancy suit of yours, or something more? You might be a pretty boy they can play dress-up with, but they'll always smell the street on you. Trust me. Nothing good will come of this."

"Whatever, old man, I'm tired..."

Brushing past his father, Jonouchi had forced himself into his room, locking the door behind him. He took off his clothes, putting them into the hamper and stewing on his mattress. He'd have to have it all dry cleaned. Thankfully, it wouldn't cost that much to get done, but it was still a pain in the ass.

Jonouchi also noticed the lack of food in the apartment. He'd have to get groceries. At least now, though, with his last paycheck, he could actually afford to really eat. That meant meat with vegetables and fruit instead of just rice and fish all the time. That was an exciting prospect: actually being able to eat when he was hungry and not worrying about his rent.

He lied down, the room dark and completely silent around him. Jonouchi closed his eyes, allowing his mind to wander.

"_Don't go yet, I need to talk to you about something._"

Eyes flashing open, Jonouchi groaned before rolling onto his stomach, slamming a pillow over his head.

"_Jonouchi, I don't know how to tell you this._"

He didn't want to hear the words replay in his head again.

"_I don't want to tell you this, but I must._"

No. No. No.

"_I know you know what this means._"

The room was becoming too hot. It was cold outside, but Jonouchi felt suffocated underneath the covers of his futon.

"_I like you. I really like you. I can't just be friends with you like this anymore._"

* * *

The street lights flashed each time the car drove past an intersection. Tired. Jonouchi rested against the door with his eyes closed, the heat of the car making it hard to not feel comfortable inside there. The Ferrari wasn't very big, and it smelled like a mixture of leather seats and Kaiba's cologne—and for some reason, that was relaxing. It was a familiar smell, and Jonouchi was too wiped out to fight against napping on the ride home.

"Don't fall asleep on me; we've barely talked all day." Kaiba was drumming his fingertips against the steering wheel, a strange nervous energy emanating from his side of the car.

"That's because you abandoned me at the party," snorted Jonouchi as he sighed and readjusted himself before closing his eyes again, "It's not my fault you decided to act like we didn't know each other all night..."

A pause in the beats before the drumming restarted. "You didn't join us at our table. You sat by yourself."

"Because I didn't think you wanted me around. It wouldn't have killed you to invite me over, Kaiba. I'm not a mind reader."

One steady beat, the rest of the fingers wrapped tightly around the wheel. "Why would you think that? I brought you with me."

"Yeah, but you weren't friendly towards me at all. Where I come from, that means you want to be left alone. You made it a point to speak to Yamazaki, but not me, so don't get upset because I kept my distance for once. A few months ago, you probably would have given me a bonus for doing that..."

Jonouchi snorted at that, shaking his head a little. It was a true statement. Kaiba never seemed like he wanted Jonouchi around half the time, so how was he supposed to know when he was wanted? Normal people were clear about their intentions, yet Kaiba still played by a different set of rules that only he seemed to understand. It was ridiculous.

There was a low rumbling as Kaiba shifted gears. "It was a business function; I have certain duties and expectations. If you wanted me to pay more close attention to you, you could have said something. Besides, I figured you would have enjoyed the freedom, for a change."

"I didn't want you on my back all night," Jonouchi corrected a bit more sharply than he'd meant to, "I was fine. I had a good night."

"You certainly didn't seem to mind that hostess all over you," Kaiba snorted as he zipped around another car, nearly running a red light.

"Yeah, so? What are you getting at?" Jonouchi opened his eyes, straightening himself out before popping the joints in his legs. "Sounds like you're jealous. I got her phone number, too, and I didn't even ask for it."

Kaiba grew silent, the diffuse orange lights of the edge of Jonouchi's neighborhood glowing strangely against Kaiba's pale skin. "A resounding victory," he finally muttered under his breath.

"I'm not going to call her, Kaiba."

The car slowed as they reached Jonouchi's drop-off point. "Is there a reason you needed to tell me that?" He wasn't even looking at Jonouchi, just staring blankly ahead.

"No."

It wasn't like it was any of Kaiba's business who Jonouchi was planning to hook up with. They slept together, once, and Jonouchi still considered it a drunken mistake. People made mistakes, and while he couldn't lie to himself saying he didn't enjoy it, Jonouchi certainly wasn't going to allow it to happen again. He wasn't a homosexual...

Jonouchi couldn't be a homosexual.

Shaking his head to himself, he slumped in his seat more before finally speaking again, "We're close to my apartment. You can just drop me off at that corner. I can walk from here."

Kaiba did as requested, putting the car into park. When Jonouchi reached out for the door handle, Kaiba reached over and lightly held onto Jonouchi's wrist, stopping him. "Don't go yet, I need to talk to you about something."

Jonouchi blinked before settling back into his seat, wringing his hands anxiously before digging his nails into his palms. "What is it?"

Kaiba's eyes were shifting around bizarrely, not settling on anything in particular. He seemed uncomfortable, frowning and making false starts before he finally uttered, "Jonouchi, I don't know how to tell you this." He looked completely frustrated, and he took a deep breath and closed his eyes before he finally set them unflinchingly upon Jonouchi.

"I don't want to tell you this, but I must. I can't stop thinking about it. Us. That night. I know you know what I'm talking about. I felt something then, more than I've ever felt before, and I don't think that I'm wrong when I say I think you felt something, too. It was something I've never felt before, and I can't get it out of my head. I'm not sure if I even want to. You're constantly on my mind, even when I try to push you away, and everything keeps coming back to that moment.

"I didn't realize what it all meant until now. I don't even have the words to describe it. I know you know what this means," he said quietly. Kaiba waited for a response, and when he didn't get one, he added softly, "I like you. I really like you. I can't just be friends with you like this anymore."

Jonouchi at that moment felt his throat close up, unable to speak. His skin had goosebumps and his mouth felt dry. He wanted to curl away into himself, but he couldn't in Kaiba's tiny sports car, they were so close and it felt like too much. He wanted to run, but he was also feeling something else inside him, something stirring yet terrifying, and shaking his head, Jonouchi started laughing nervously, hiding his face behind his hands.

"You drank too much, clearly," he spoke more to himself than Kaiba, sucking in a breath before turning to look out the window. Anything was better than Kaiba's piercing gaze. "I mean, it was just sex. That's all it was. You're blowing it up out of proportion because you drank too much, that's all. You won't mean any of it by morning."

There was a startling moment when Kaiba slammed a fist against the steering wheel in frustration, "This isn't the alcohol speaking; don't just deny my feelings like that!" Jonouchi looked over at Kaiba in time to see the other man lean forward quickly, pulling them together. The kiss caught Jonouchi off-guard, Kaiba's hands firmly against either side of his face, long fingers reaching into his hair. Jonouchi could feel Kaiba's lips quiver—almost like a small trembling—and he couldn't form enough thought to react when he felt a tongue slide against his.

When Kaiba finally pulled away, he felt out of breath. Jonouchi was too shocked to even be angry, he just sat there staring up at Kaiba dumbly as Kaiba still held onto the sides of his face.

"You can't tell me how I feel. I _like _you, Jonouchi. I can't pretend like I don't. That's all there is to it," said Kaiba.

Jonouchi continued to just sit there, shocked stupid as Kaiba sighed and dumped his head into his hands. He looked like an anxious mess, and it did nothing to calm Jonouchi's own growing anxiety as his heart began to race in his chest.

They hardly functioned as friends. How could Kaiba say any of that? It all went beyond his understanding...

"Say something," Kaiba said when the silence became too much. It was odd to hear the edge of something not unlike pleading in his voice.

"I don't know what to say," admitted Jonouchi, "I really need to get home. It's late. I can't deal with this right now."

"Will you ever?" The question had been spoken so softly—mumbled, really—that Jonouchi wasn't entirely sure if Kaiba had voiced it at all.

He didn't answer. Jonouchi felt overwhelmed, and no longer capable of fighting the urge to just bolt, he opened the passenger door of the car and got out before looking back at Kaiba. He felt so confused. Unsure of what to do, he turned and looked at the darkness of his neighborhood before looking back at Kaiba's pleading expression. His head was still swimming.

"I'm too drunk to deal with this," he said more to himself than anyone, "Just—I'll see you later."

* * *

Sleep hadn't come easily. Jonouchi's mind felt jumbled as the events replayed in his head again and again, touching his lips unconsciously before realizing they felt a little bruised. He couldn't believe that he'd somehow managed to get into this predicament. Kaiba couldn't be serious, about any of it. He had to be just drunk-talking...

But then again, Jonouchi knew that drunks never lied about anything. They always said what they really felt about things, which meant Kaiba's confession had to be an honest one, even if Jonouchi wasn't ready for all that.

How was he supposed to face him now? Especially in a working environment? If Kaiba couldn't manage being just friends with Jonouchi, how the hell were they supposed to be able to continue a working partnership?

With his mind spinning, Jonouchi just couldn't feel ready to really relax. He got up, in only his shirt and boxers, sneaking back into the tiny living room where his father had left a pack of open cigarettes. Most were already gone, but there were still a few left. Grabbing one, he went out onto the balcony, sitting there and fumbling with a lighter as he took in a deep breath and allowed the nicotine to calm his nerves.

He hadn't smoked in years, but at that moment, Jonouchi needed it.

It was a long time after before he finally was able to settle back into bed and get some sleep. Morning had come too quickly, and waking was disorienting. His breath smelled, and Jonouchi tried fixing his hair with his fingers before wandering into the kitchen to get his father's coffee going.

But when he went out of his bedroom, he found his father's bedroom empty. The old man's keys and wallet were missing, along with the remaining Lucky Strikes, and there was no sign of him whatsoever.

That wasn't too out of the ordinary. At least now he didn't have to worry about his father providing homophobic background noise while he tried getting his mind in order.

* * *

There was a knock on the door.

"Nii-sama, may I come in? You didn't show up for breakfast..."

"Come in," Kaiba replied from the window seat. He wasn't sure if his brother could even hear him through the door, but he felt too out of it to leave his perch. His thoughts were still racing, muddling together, running a million different projections and outcomes.

Mokuba opened the door, looking around before he spotted his brother sitting alone. He took a cautious step forward before speaking up again, his face unsure as he stared, "Are you alright? You look out of it. Partied too hard last night, huh?"

"I...wouldn't say that," Kaiba replied as he turned to look at his brother. "I just have a headache. I'm...fine." He took a sip of his coffee, only to realize it had already gone cold.

"You are a terrible liar."

Mokuba walked over and took a seat by his brother, trying to squeeze in between his long legs. He just barely fit, since he'd grown larger and was reaching beyond Kaiba's shoulders now, and he snatched Kaiba's coffee and tasted it before making a face.

"This stuff isn't good anymore. You're distracted... Anyways," Mokuba began, changing the subject for safety's sake, "how did the hostess party go? Jonouchi spilled the beans last night on what you guys were doing without me..."

Quirking an eyebrow, Kaiba sighed before turning to look out the window. "There were a lot of girls there."

"Did you meet anyone special?" laughed Mokuba, giving a wink before he burst out laughing, "Hahaha, what did you do to waste the time, force Yamazaki-san to entertain you again? He might actually want to talk to the girls instead for once..."

"He appears to have developed quite the fondness for the Harpie Lady," Kaiba snorted. "He didn't appear bothered to have missed out."

"I hope you didn't bother Jonouchi, then. He seemed pretty excited about the whole thing."

"Oh, Jonouchi had a _grand_ time," Kaiba muttered, rolling his eyes as he tried to ignore the way his stomach twisted around the other's name.

"Wow, that didn't sound venomous at all," snickered Mokuba, "What did he do to piss you off? He seemed pretty mellow at the luncheon. I think he sat with Yamazaki-san and Mai the entire time, and I thought you approved of that. Are you ever going to give him a break, Nii-sama?"

Leaning back against the wall, Kaiba shifted the weight in his legs. God, his brother really was growing up; it was frightening to behold. "It's nothing you need to be concerned about. Jonouchi will get a break once he's earned it." Again, the flipping in his stomach. Kaiba grit his teeth.

"Yeah well, Jonouchi is still kind of my friend, so I care a little. You could get off his back some; you always seem pissed when he's around, and I know you think everyone should break their back working for you, but it wouldn't kill you to give a little support to those people, Nii-sama. I thought considering his inexperience, Jonouchi did a good job out there. Who cares if he liked the girls; that's what they were there for. Just because _you_ don't enjoy them doesn't mean no one else should," Mokuba snorted.

He tapped Kaiba with his foot, his mouth turning into a smile. "Did he do something in particular to get you into a mood?"

"I never said he shouldn't," Kaiba replied, his eyes flashing dangerously. "And if I didn't trust him even a little bit, I wouldn't be bringing him around to these events or have hired him at all."

"Nii-sama," Mokuba sighed dramatically, kicking Kaiba with his foot again, "You didn't answer my question."

Kaiba stared at his brother's concerned face before he, too, sighed—the small outburst of anger fizzling out. "I don't want to talk about Jonouchi."

Mokuba's face contorted, the little gears in his brain shifting as his eyes grew a tad larger. "Why not? Maybe I want to talk about Jonouchi."

"_I just don't_." Kaiba enunciated each word, feeling suddenly tired. Mokuba was too damn curious sometimes, but he knew he was fighting a losing battle. His brother always won, eventually. He closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, feeling the wall press unyieldingly against his shoulder blades.

"Yeah, whatever then." Blinking, Mokuba's face went from confused and slightly offended into a sly smile, his arms folding as he moved slightly closer to his brother.

"Anyways," he said loudly, trying to break the discomfort in the room, "What are we going to do today? You don't have work, and I'm bored. I want to do something."

Peeking one eye open before shutting it again, Kaiba mulled the words over. They hadn't been able to spend much time together since Mokuba returned to Japan, and the idea of a day together was nice. It could even be a good distraction from all the other uncomfortable revelations swarming around his head. "Sure, whatever you want to do."

"I want to go to the park," said Mokuba, "and get ice cream. Eat a giant cone of it in public, and you are not to look at me like I'm some fat kid, okay? If you behave, I'll get you one, too, but smaller so you can keep your figure. I'm thoughtful like that."

Kaiba couldn't help but laugh at that. "Very thoughtful," he agreed, a small smile forming on his lips. His brother may be growing up, but he was still a kid at the core.

"I try," Mokuba teased, and he looked out the window, putting his chin into the palm of his hand before looking back at Kaiba again. "So, what did you do while I was gone, anyways? Not stay locked up alone in here moping after me, I hope."

Staring at Mokuba, Kaiba thought that the three months apart might as well have been an eternity. He was more angles than childish roundness now, his face thinning out and body broadening out into that of a man's. It made Kaiba feel a little hollow at having missed the transition—not having been there for his brother—but there was nothing to be done about it now. "Of course not. The business doesn't run itself, after all."

"-Yes, but I hoped a little that you did something besides work yourself to death, Nii-sama. It's okay to have a social life."

"I'm not a complete shut-in," Kaiba replied lightly. "I _did_ have a new employee to babysit. We've even become something like...friends."

Could they even call themselves that now? Something had been beginning, but it was entirely possible that everything was in ruins now. Kaiba himself had admitted he could no longer view Jonouchi as just a friend any longer...

"Oh really," laughed Mokuba, "I thought you didn't want to talk about Jonouchi, unless you're implying someone else I don't know about."

"I still don't. It was to prove a point."

Mokuba huffed, snorting loudly as he brought his folded arms closer to his chest. He leaned into the wall of the window seat, folding his legs and bringing his body close as he rolled his eyes dramatically.

"No offense, Nii-sama, but you're kind of ridiculous."

"You should be used to it by now," Kaiba remarked with smirk, "or did all those months in California make you forget?"

"Apparently a lot of things changed while I was gone. I'm just trying to catch up," remarked Mokuba, "I feel like I've entered an alternate reality. I'm sure I'll get to the bottom of it quickly, though. You're not the only genius in this family, Nii-sama."

"You're in for disappointment, then." Kaiba was lying, but he needed to throw Mokuba off his trail, if only momentarily. Everything was still so new and confusing to him, and he wanted some time to process the discovery alone before he had anyone pestering him about it. Even if it was his brother.

"If you say so," laughed Mokuba in a sing-song kind of voice, "I'm ready for my ice cream now."

The park was moderately crowded when they arrived, the fall chill discouraging the larger crowds from the summer. Mokuba immediately ran to the ice cream stand, insisting upon paying. Kaiba had humored him, and as promised, Mokuba ordered a monstrous-sized cone for himself and a more reasonably-sized one for Kaiba. Wandering over to the swings, they both took seats and slowly rocked in place, silently watching as children ran around the various playground contraptions, kicking around in the sandbox and avoiding chasing mothers.

Mokuba had largely given up on asking about Jonouchi, or at least he was good at playing pretend. Kaiba knew he couldn't avoid the issue forever, especially if Jonouchi ever miraculously came around and decided to be truthful with himself.

A person couldn't lie to themself forever, could they?

It was a disheartening thought, and Kaiba felt cold, beyond the frozen ice cream melting in his stomach and the coolness of the air.

Surely Jonouchi felt something for him in return. It couldn't all be just one-sided, at least not with the way Jonouchi responded to Kaiba physically. Because Kaiba was certain that he would have never experienced something so intense if the other person didn't feel equally the same.

How would they even face each other now? Once all the pieces had fallen into place, it had been impossible for Kaiba to keep his mouth shut: the confession had spilled out of his mouth without second thought. Jonouchi hadn't outright rejected him, and that was a small victory in and of itself, but for all the idiot's determined brashness, he was an indecisive fool. A coward, really.

Kaiba couldn't understand it. He lived his life as he willed. Everything he did, he did by choice. He went into decisions with finality, knowing the consequences and the risks but banking on opportunity. He didn't have time for indecision.

He wanted Jonouchi's answer. Now. Objectively, Kaiba knew the other needed time, but hadn't they circled around each other long enough? Kaiba had stepped forward. Would Jonouchi ever close the gap? Or would he always revolve around Kaiba, never getting any closer, and more importantly, would Kaiba even want to wait to find out?

It was a yes and no answer. Yes, Kaiba _wanted_ Jonouchi. Wanted him too badly, and that was a dangerous reality. But his pride wouldn't allow him to sit around waiting forever while Jonouchi went through life willfully hesitating. They were adults, goddammit, not blushing teenagers worrying over a first kiss. If they wanted to be in a relationship, who the hell was stopping them?

Kaiba's rashness would make working together challenging, though. He knew he could keep it together, but Jonouchi had an annoying penchant for avoidance when things got too uncomfortable. It would be best to just continue business as normal. If Kaiba gave Jonouchi too much space—too many remote assignments, too many days off—it would just make things obviously awkward and probably encourage Jonouchi's anxiety. If Kaiba didn't make it weird, then it wouldn't be weird. The best way to normalize a situation was to continue the status quo.

It didn't end up working out that way, though.

Whatever budding rapport they had developed had retreated back to square one. While Jonouchi's attitude hadn't taken a nosedive towards flippancy this time, he remained distant and determinedly professional. His punctuality had even taken an upswing, but at the same time, Jonouchi only did exactly what was required of him. He came and attended meetings, fleeing once they ended. He disappeared completely during lunchtimes, and he escaped from headquarters on the dot at the end of each work day. He never ventured close to Kaiba's office, eschewing the mansion completely, and he would only remain in the executive lobby for as long as he needed to before he'd be out the door. More than once, Kaiba had overheard Eguchi asking Jonouchi why they couldn't just ask Kaiba something directly, instead of sending Nakahara into a panic over things he didn't know. And each time, Kaiba had laughed derisively to himself. Jonouchi never had a problem barging in before over the tiniest little things.

The fucking coward.

It couldn't continue like this. This kind of mechanical routine between them was becoming exasperating. If a little nudge was what Jonouchi needed to stop being so damn childish, then Kaiba would give him one.

Rising from his desk, Kaiba walked to his office entrance and took a cursory headcount of his staff—no Jonouchi in sight. His avoidance factor must really be high if he wasn't even hanging around to harass the interns.

Moving swiftly (and ignoring the many turning heads as he exited without a word), Kaiba ventured out to the hallways, giving each conference room a brief glance. He was beginning to wonder whether he would have to check all eighty goddamn floors of Kaiba Corporation headquarters to locate the idiot when a flash of inspiration struck. Checking his watch, Kaiba nodded to himself.

It was worth a shot.

His instincts proved true when Kaiba found Jonouchi in the general staff breakroom, sitting by himself and eating a bento. Still out of sight, Kaiba stood alone in the hallway, flexed his hands three times, and entered.

"So this is where you've been eating lunch all week," he said conversationally, strolling over to the coffee maker.

"Yeah," answered Jonouchi noncommittally, "Eguchi told me I'd save money by bringing food instead of constantly buying it out in town... Did you want something?"

Bringing his eyes up, Jonouchi stared up at Kaiba, keeping a neutral face. He didn't eat anything, but his chopsticks remained posed to lift up one piece of sushi, the rolled-up rice still hovering about an inch off the plastic box.

"You do know that there's an executive breakroom for you to use…" Kaiba said, reaching for a paper cup and dispensing the hot beverage into it.

"I didn't think it mattered," said Jonouchi, and he ate the piece of cucumber and rice before giving Kaiba a flat look, "Besides, I prefer hanging around the common people."

Kaiba rolled his eyes, turning around to lean against the countertop and observe Jonouchi from behind the safety of his coffee cup. "I've barely seen you all week."

"So?"

"It just seems like you've been making yourself...scarce," Kaiba replied, trying to keep his tone light, "I wondered if there was a particular reason."

"Not really," lied Jonouchi as he began tapping his foot on the floor, his eyes betraying him as they moved towards the coffee machine beyond where Kaiba was standing, "Is that all you came over here to ask? I was enjoying my authorized twenty-minute lunch break..."

Pausing to take a sip of his coffee, Kaiba watched Jonouchi watch him. Jonouchi's body was rigid all over, even though he was trying to feign nonchalance, and Kaiba could feel the beginning of a twitch below his eye from that simple observation. "Have you thought about it?"

"Thought about what?" answered Jonouchi in a tense voice. "I thought about eating my food, but then you came in here and started interrupting me."

"Nothing," Kaiba said, suddenly feeling detached from his body. He crushed the paper cup in his hand and headed towards the door, tossing the cup on his way. Streams of coffee, still warm enough to be uncomfortable, leaked onto his fingers. He ignored it. "Far be it from me to get between you and your food," he remarked flatly.

"What's your problem?"

Jonouchi gave Kaiba an incredulous look before snorting and darting his eyes away. He seemed well-aware of what the true issue was, but Kaiba knew he wasn't going to address it. Jonouchi would play it off, as always. Make it seem like Kaiba was the weird one even though they both knew what he was referring to.

His hand was on the handle. He could leave now and say nothing, leave it as just another odd occurrence between them.

"You should know." The handle turned, and then he was out the door, the soft clicking of the latch and his discarded paper cup leaving the only evidence of his presence.

* * *

Walking on the sidewalk, Jonouchi tried to hurry as he saw the corner store in sight. As always, he waited until the last minute to get his groceries, his entire apartment empty of anything to eat triggering the realization that he should probably stock up before he tried eating his own hand off to fight off his hunger. He wasn't yet financially secure enough to go out and eat at a restaurant, which were all too expensive, and the street food stalls weren't around his side of town.

He only needed one large bag of groceries. Still unused to having actual food around, Jonouchi didn't think he needed that much of anything, either. Milk, eggs, vegetable oil, rice, maybe some frozen vegetables and soybeans, canned fish, curry blocks, and lots of ramen. Quick, cheap calories with lots of protein. Jonouchi wasn't used to eating much else. His father had termed it "struggle food," and grabbing a small hand basket to carry around, he went through the store quickly, snatching up all his necessary items before reaching the checkout counter.

Thanks to having some pocket money left over, Jonouchi grabbed some snacks and a packet of gum. Usually he had to steal it as a teenager, because he couldn't even afford that much. He felt so ridiculous being the only kid in his class who didn't even have the change to get some cheap gum, of all things.

Once he paid, he got out of there quickly. It was dark, the lights were dim, and he could barely see where he was going. Jonouchi was relying more on muscle memory than sight at getting back to his apartment, and trying to hide in the shadows, he carried his stuff in both hands before bumping shoulders with someone.

"Sorry," he mumbled. Jonouchi's eyes grew as he was grabbed, his body spun around before receiving a quick kick in the gut.

Falling to his knees, his bag of food fell onto the sidewalk, eggs breaking and milk spilling all over. He cursed, and looking up, Jonouchi's head was snapped to the side as a fist collided into his face. He didn't know which hurt more, his face or neck, and before Jonouchi could get his own fists up to protect himself, he felt two strong arms grab him from under his armpits, hauling him off the ground as the man in front of him, shrouded in shadows, started wailing on him.

Closing his eyes, Jonouchi tried to lift his forearms to protect himself, but it was useless. The men holding him were stronger. They had more power, and Jonouchi couldn't protect his ribs from being made into a punching bag. His face got hit half a dozen times, and soon Jonouchi couldn't even see out of his right eye. Half-blind and throbbing from pain, he cried out when he was unceremoniously dumped onto the ground, colliding onto the cement chest-first.

One of his ribs had to be cracked. The pain was immense.

"You know who were are," said a voice, "and we know who you are. Tell that old man of yours that he better pay what he owes, or you'll be losing more than just your groceries next time we run into you, got it? He has three weeks, and we'll be back."

Wiggling onto his back, Jonouchi tried cracking open his eyes to see who was speaking, but he didn't see anything or anyone. Just the darkness of the street. There wasn't a soul in sight, not even the stupid punks who smoked cigarettes next to the sidewalk and yelled at girls as they passed by. There was nobody around.

Fuck it all. It'd been _years_ since he'd been jumped this badly. Drawing his knees up to get some leverage, Jonouchi tried to push himself up, but his abdomen screamed in protest. Falling back onto the pavement, he tried catching his breath, but he felt like he was drowning.

He didn't know how long he lay like that; he was going in and out, his thoughts fuzzy. He needed to call someone.

Every movement was a struggle. It seemed like it took hours for him to move his hand down to his pants pocket, and when Jonouchi's fingers made contact with the material, pressing down to reach his cell phone, pain instantly shot up through his arm, all the way to his elbow. He cursed, recoiling. Took another eternity to reach his other arm across and dig the phone out.

After a few unsuccessful attempts, in which he'd dropped his phone square on his already beaten face a number of times, Jonouchi managed to scroll through his contacts.

"We're sorry, the number you have reached is-"

_Fuck_. Leave it to that asshole to have his phone off when Jonouchi was in trouble. Honda was probably too busy getting fucking laid to be bothered with a friend in need. Sighing, Jonouchi tried option two. The line had rung endlessly. He couldn't even count on his fucking father.

No surprises there, but a small part of Jonouchi had always held onto hope.

Jonouchi idly wondered how long he would have to lie there until someone found him and (hopefully) called an ambulance. If anyone would even find him. It was well past the time when residents rushed inside and bolted their doors.

He had one other option. His last option, really, if he could even still consider it. But when both his father and best friend had failed him, what other choice did Jonouchi have? In his condition, he couldn't wait around for a good samaritan to pass by in the unlikeliest of neighborhoods…

The edges of his vision were starting to become tinted with black. Pulling the phone up close, Jonouchi hit the dial button and held his breath.


	20. Chapter 20

A broken nose. Hairline fracture to the wrist. Bruised ribs, two broken. Concussion.

Kaiba sat in silence, staring at Jonouchi's battered body as the doctor listed off the tally of injuries, each new one punctuated by the sound of Jonouchi's heartbeat on the monitor. He had been hooked up just to track his vitals, in case anything unsuspected were to happen, but the doctors had all been confident that he would pull through just fine, albeit a little worse for wear. Kaiba had been relieved that Jonouchi had remained relatively incapacitated during the whole ordeal - he had a sneaking suspicion the other would have been resistant to say the least, trying to hide and shrug off major injuries over something silly like emergency room costs.

The call had come as a surprise.

It had been late at night, and although Kaiba hadn't been anywhere near asleep, Jonouchi had always kept his rare calls to daylight hours. But when Kaiba had answered his phone, there was a brief moment of hesitancy on the other line before Jonouchi had practically exploded.

"_Kaiba...oh thank god you picked up. I've gotten myself into a pinch; I can't really move. Could you…_"

"_Keep your phone on - I'll be right there._"

Kaiba had been only mildly surprised to discover, after tracking Jonouchi's signal via Kaiba Corp's satellite, that the idiot had been mere meters away from his apartment complex. It hadn't been hard to deduce what had probably gone down - Jonouchi insisted on staying in his neighborhood, which had one of the worst reputations in all of Domino. And seeing the scattered food items laying wasted on the street, Kaiba had expected that Jonouchi should have known better than to do his grocery shopping past dark.

He had been heavy. Jonouchi had passed out in the time it took Kaiba to get to his side of town, and his body had been uncooperative dead weight. It had taken considerable effort and coordination to shove Jonouchi into the passenger seat, drawing curious gazes from snooping residents who hadn't even had the goodwill to help one of their own. One furious upward glance was all it had taken for them to retreat, drawing their curtains back.

Jonouchi had come to a few times during the ride over to Domino General Hospital, disoriented and slightly delirious each time, returning to unconsciousness soon after. One time he had awoken in a panic, jerking his body painfully, and Kaiba had reached over to set a hand upon his arm. Jonouchi had settled down after that.

And that was how Kaiba came to be sitting in a hospital room at almost three o'clock in the morning, the pervasive stench of disinfectant filling his nostrils. He could feel a migraine brewing behind his eyes, the combination of the smells, fluorescent lights, stress, and waning adrenaline rush assaulting his brain. And Jonouchi slept peacefully, the steady beeping indicating that he was still alive; the dull, thudding drip of an IV continuing on in the background.

He had a number of questions. A cursory investigation of Jonouchi's wallet showed that it had remained untouched, so this hadn't been some random mugging. It had been a hit. What inane trouble Jonouchi had gotten himself into this time, Kaiba didn't know. Wasn't sure if he wanted to know, but knew he'd ask, anyway. And of all people to call, why him? It wasn't like they were on the best of terms the past few days - Jonouchi had been actively avoiding him, after all. Jonouchi must have been desperate to have resorted to him, and the realization burned low in Kaiba's gut.

It wasn't about him, necessarily. That he would be used as a last resort stung, but it wasn't surprising. Kaiba had never exactly been charitable in the past, so naturally he wouldn't arise as a first option. What burned him more was that there were people in Jonouchi's life that should have been able to help, and they hadn't. For all Jonouchi's talk about friends and family, where were they now?

Abrupt coughing broke Kaiba from his thoughts as Jonouchi tried raising up from his bed. He immediately hissed as he dropped his hand down from covering his mouth, his eyes quickly assessing the room before falling back down against the mattress again.

"I hate hospitals," he said in a raspy voice, not looking at anyone or anything in particular, "this was not how I was planning on spending my free night."

"That makes two of us," Kaiba said, crossing his arms over his chest. "You have a couple of bruised and cracked ribs; don't try to move."

"I've been through this before, Kaiba, I'm not going to die."

He only scooted himself up slightly before stopping, looking down to find his left wrist in a brace and chest nearly completely bandaged up. There was an IV line on his right arm and his nose was bandaged up as well.

"How bad is my face?"

"Your nose is busted up and a flattering shade of purple. You have a few scrapes on your chin from where you fell."

"So... I shouldn't be trying to call that hostess chick back anytime soon, huh?" joked Jonouchi before he started coughing again, "I wouldn't even want Mai seeing me like this."

Kaiba allowed the coughing fit to pass before he said, "But you would allow me to."

"I trust that you have a stronger stomach," sighed Jonouchi, "among other things. Anyways, thanks for picking me off the street in the first place. I know you probably didn't want to do that for me. I should have left that apartment ages ago..."

Tamping down a flash of anger, Kaiba grit his teeth and tried not to let it show on his face. "Yes. You should have," he said pointedly. "What's stopping you now?"

"Common sense."

"Common sense would dictate that you move _out_ of your current neighborhood, given you were just assaulted violently enough to land yourself in the hospital."

"I _know_ that," sighed Jonouchi heavily for the second time that night, "I don't stay there because I want to. It's because of duty, you could say. I can't leave my old man there to rot, we already talked about that. I'll convince him to leave, next time I see him..."

Kaiba could feel the anger rising. "And it's that misguided sense of duty that will get you killed one day. Tell me, does your father feel the same? Because where is he now?"

"Probably drunk in some hole," muttered Jonouchi, "but that's not the point. He wasn't always like this and just because he's sick doesn't mean I just cast him aside. He's still my dad, and the only family that's stuck around for half of my damn life. I'm not gonna cast him aside without trying... besides, what would you know about it? Nothing."

He stuck up his nose and turned his head to the side, fighting back the urge to cross his arms. It would probably hurt too much to go that far.

"I know when it's time to get rid of dead weight. I know how to survive. I thought you did, too, but I guess you're just stupid after all."

Kaiba didn't get a reply back. Jonouchi kept his mouth shut, his dark eyes fixed on the wall near his bedside. Apparently his stubborn side had risen and he didn't look like he was going to budge anytime soon now that Kaiba's words were beginning to sink in.

Jonouchi was trying to lock him out. As if Kaiba would allow that to happen after getting dragged into the whole ordeal. "Who did this to you?"

"Some guys from the neighborhood, I didn't see their faces."

"Why would they come after you? Nothing was stolen, so obviously it was a vendetta."

"I'm not sure," lied Jonouchi, "they just did. Wrong time of the night to be grocery shopping, I guess. Like you said, I'm kinda stupid and I won't be out that late again... Hungry or not."

It wasn't convincing, but Kaiba let the matter slide. For now. He could tell Jonouchi was hiding something, but it didn't look like he would get the truth anytime soon. At least not this night. He sighed, rising from his chair and ignoring the soreness in his back and legs. "It's late. You've been through a lot. Get some rest; I'll be back in the morning."

Jonouchi blinked before nodding his head, sighing loudly again before looking away towards the wall once more. They weren't going to get anywhere arguing all night, anyways.

As promised, Kaiba returned the next day. He frowned when he saw the tray of food sitting on Jonouchi's side table, untouched. "You won't get any better if you don't eat, you know."

"It all tastes like garbage..."

There was a mushy bowl of rice with plain miso soup and what appeared to be soggy shrimp tempura Jonouchi had completely snubbed. The only thing he had eaten was the fruit and tea, which wasn't all that surprising. Mokuba behaved much the same way when presented with something he didn't want.

"Guess what," Jonouchi slurred as he turned his head towards Kaiba's direction, "they gave me so many painkillers today. I feel great."

The frown on Kaiba's face deepened as he took a seat by Jonouchi's bedside. "The wonders of drugs. I'm surprised you're even awake. It's okay to sleep; you'll probably heal faster…"

"Nope, I can sleep when I'm dead," answered Jonouchi as he tried adjusting up on his bed, "although this place is pretty damn boring. Can we play chess?"

"You talk as though I carry a set around wherever I go. Sorry to disappoint, but I don't think it would be much of a game in your current state, anyway," Kaiba said, leaning back and crossing his legs.

"I want to play."

Jonouchi's eyebrows furrowed as he gave Kaiba an irritated look. Although his arms didn't move this time to cross against his chest, the tension in the jaw was clear enough in showing his displeasure.

"There's a box under the counter," he whined, "just humor me."

Sighing, Kaiba retrieved the box, tucking it under his arm. He moved the tray of food aside onto one of the free seats lining the wall of the room (it really _did_ look disgusting) and dragged the side table out, setting the game up. It was cheap and worn, hollow plastic bits and frayed cardboard.

"I'll give you white, so you go first."

"Excellent."

He grabbed a pawn and quickly made his move. It became apparent that Jonouchi wasn't really playing with any kind of logic. Probably because of the drugs he was on; he seemed more focused on causing chaos on the chessboard than actually trying to win the game. A few times he knocked over pieces, laughing each time Kaiba had to bend over to pick them up.

"You see," said Jonouchi as he stared at the board, "this is nice."

"Is that so," Kaiba remarked flatly as he captured Jonouchi's rook. The latter only had five pieces left on the board. "I'm not sure we can even call this chess with the way you're playing."

"That doesn't make this any less nice," laughed Jonouchi. "We haven't fought any today. Agree with me, it's nice."

"Fine. It's nice. Check." Kaiba peeked up at Jonouchi through his bangs. He wore an easy smile on his face, but Kaiba wondered whether it was merely the drugs talking.

Jonouchi turned his head to stare at the board. It took him awhile to focus enough before he moved his king, just barely managing to figure out an escape route for him. He only had two pawns, a knight, and his king and queen left. Kaiba had taken out everything else rather quickly, but Jonouchi didn't really seem to care about winning anyways.

"I have a question," blurted Jonouchi.

"I may have an answer," Kaiba replied as he took Jonouchi's queen. "Check."

Jonouchi looked perplexed as he stared at the board before frowning, "Okay fine, you got me. I'll reset the board."

He fumbled his way with it, not quite as graceful getting all the pieces together like Kaiba had been. It didn't help either that he had only one hand to use since his left wrist was still incapacitated.

"Do you like hanging out with me?"

Kaiba blinked. The question caught him off-guard, and he stared at Jonouchi openly before responding. "Yes," he admitted, "although you don't make the greatest chess opponent," he added carefully. He wasn't really sure where Jonouchi was going with this line of thought.

"Why, because I'm not a perfect gaming master like you?" asked Jonouchi with a hint of amusement, "some of us normal folk actually have to practice to get good at things, you know. Besides, I'm drugged up. You can't expect me to actually win a game..."

Didn't stop Jonouchi from trying again, though. He moved one of his white pawns forward, waiting for Kaiba to do the same.

Kaiba played his knight. "You don't use any sort of strategy. When you're not drugged, it's easy to read your moves," he observed.

"I've just started playing the game, Kaiba," sighed Jonouchi as he rolled his eyes, "and you aren't exactly a very patient teacher, either."

"It's not unlike Duel Monsters; it's actually much simpler."

"Well, I'm good at Duel Monsters, so have a little faith," said Jonouchi as he knocked Kaiba's knight off the board with his rook, "You just like being a giant stick in the mud. I think you get personal satisfaction by being so sour about everything."

Frowning again, Kaiba righted the knight and set it off to the side. "I'm not sour; I'm a realist. How am I sour?"

"You're sour," corrected Jonouchi, "and sting a little, like a pineapple. You keep yourself pointy to keep people out, but sometimes... Sometimes, you can be a little sweet inside, but just barely."

Kaiba felt his stomach flip a little. He moved a pawn up. "And when have I been sweet?"

"You came in to see me before work. But you didn't bring me food, so you lose points for that," snorted Jonouchi.

Kaiba snorted in return. "I'll remember for next time." He wondered if Jonouchi would even remember any of this, he was so drugged up.

"What will you bring me?" asked Jonouchi as he batted his eyelashes playfully. "If you were in the hospital, I'd bring you a strawberry crepe because they are delicious. I'd probably eat half of it before I gave it to you, though."

"How considerate," Kaiba laughed, "although I'm pretty sure sugar doesn't make for the best recuperation fuel." He snatched up Jonouchi's bishop. "What would you like? And what's my incentive for getting you food? It's not cheap, you know," he said with a sly smile.

"Uhhh..."

Jonouchi fumbled regaining his upper hand as he stared at the chessboard in mild confusion. It took him a moment to process the loss of his bishop, but once he realized what happened, he changed tactics and moved his knight to try and knock out Kaiba's rook.

"If you feed me," answered Jonouchi slowly, "I'll return the favor once I get better. I'll take you to that curry place you like. But I want a strawberry crepe, health be damned. Deal?"

"Hmm." The offer surprised Kaiba, as Jonouchi had seemed thoroughly uncomfortable when they had last gone. But it was a start, he supposed - at least Jonouchi wasn't acting all weird and standoffish around him. "It's a deal. Checkmate."

"Ahh, fuck."

Rising from his seat, Kaiba collected the game pieces and shifted them back into their box. "I've got to head to work now. Try not to cause too much trouble," he smirked.

"Whatever, it's not like I can even go anywhere with two of my ribs still cracked," snorted Jonouchi, "You're coming back tomorrow, right?"

Kaiba took in the large bruise mottling across Jonouchi's face, the IV hooked up into his arm, the soundtrack of regular beeping. Jonouchi's expectant gaze. "Yes," he said, turning to leave and closing the door behind him.

Early morning visits to the hospital became how Kaiba started his work days that week, and after-work visits became how he closed his nights. They were often alone - Jonouchi never got any visitors, except one occasion when Honda had stopped by in the evening, and Kaiba's blood pressure has risen to such a degree that he'd had to step out to avoid starting a confrontation. Honda had come in, all apologies, but for someone whom Jonouchi considered a close friend, Kaiba thought the excuses were thin and too late. Yet Jonouchi had appeared happy, so he had set his own feelings aside on the matter.

But Jonouchi had _also _appeared happy each time Kaiba had come to visit, which was a welcomed change. Sure, each time Kaiba had brought food - there was no way Jonouchi's body would ever begin to repair itself without nourishment, since he repeatedly refused the hospital's provisions - but Jonouchi's good mood seemed to extend past the initial gratefulness each time. He would actually engage Kaiba in conversation, and the pair passed the hours by working their way through the small pile of board and card games in the room.

It was hard to believe, but Jonouchi was right. When they weren't arguing, spending time together was _nice_. And with the external world and its worries left abandoned outside Jonouchi's hospital door, Kaiba found there wasn't much for them to argue over.

Although it probably helped a little that Jonouchi was drugged up, Kaiba had to admit. The painkillers put him into a relaxed state, and his usual anxiety around Kaiba (at least since his confession almost two weeks prior) had all but dissipated. Kaiba wondered if this easiness between them would disappear once Jonouchi was released from the hospital, but he pushed those thoughts away, trying his best to enjoy the moments for what they were.

Almost a week had passed, and the doctors were optimistic about Jonouchi's recovery. His concussion had resolved, and the inflammation in his face and wrist had largely subsided. He still sported mean bruises across the bridge of his nose and in splotches along his chest, but the doctors seemed satisfied that Jonouchi's bones were healing quite nicely and determined that Jonouchi was over the worst of it. They still wanted to keep him for a couple extra days, but discharge was on the horizon. Jonouchi had rejoiced at the news, but it had felt like a stomach full of ice cubes to Kaiba.

It meant a return to reality. To leaving the room behind where the two of them only seemed to exist. And while Jonouchi had accepted Kaiba's companionship during his stay, Kaiba was uncertain whether things would continue along that path after, or if the camaraderie would be left abandoned once Jonouchi escaped the confines of his hospital room.

The dread really started to set in when Shizuka finally appeared for a visit. Kaiba had been deep into a chess game against Jonouchi again, the both of them focused on the board, when the girl had showed up with a bouquet of flowers and a stuffed bear. Jonouchi had nearly knocked the entire board down sitting up at her approach, and Kaiba could feel his aggravation begin to rekindle.

He had been completely ignored, pushed aside and abandoned as Jonouchi turned all his attention onto his sister. Kaiba knew he was feeling selfish; Shizuka was his family, and Jonouchi hardly ever saw her, but still. He couldn't fight away the jealousy when they embraced, and Jonouchi gushed over the sickly cute stuffed teddybear that Kaiba was sure he only liked because his sister had given it to him.

There was nothing to do but just sit there on the sidelines and eavesdrop into their conversation.

"I'll be out of here in two more days," reported Jonouchi as he sat the stuffed bear on his bed's side table, "the doctors just wanted me around in case I caught pneumonia or something. It's not a big deal."

"Onii-chan, you got busted up badly enough to be sent to the hospital for a week! It _is_ a big deal," she pouted. "I was so shocked when Honda-kun texted me. You couldn't even let your own sister know!"

"Ehh... I didn't want to worry you about it," said Jonouchi with a smile, "You'd freak out, and I knew you were busy at home anyways. It wasn't like I was on my death bed or some shit."

Shizuka only appeared more troubled at Jonouchi's words. "I would have come out sooner, if I'd had known. Maybe even Okaa-san would have visited, too. I hope you weren't lonely all this time…"

"Hardly," snickered Jonouchi, "and I'd be obligated to run out of here if you tried dragging our mother over. You know she doesn't like me."

"You're still her son," Shizuka asserted. Turning and giving a slight bow and smile to Kaiba, she said, "Um, thank you for taking care of my brother. Have we...met before?"

Jonouchi had cut off Kaiba entirely before he could answer, waving his arms wildly despite still wearing a brace, "He's a friend, Shizuka, and he doesn't like being bothered by silly girls like you. Not every guy is like Honda," he continued, and Kaiba could feel his mouth twitching as Jonouchi dismissed him, "Can we talk about something else besides my egg donor now, Shizuka?"

Shizuka rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to her brother. "O-_nii-chan_! You shouldn't talk about Okaa-san like that!" she frowned, flicking Jonouchi on his uninjured arm.

"No, I probably shouldn't, but I'm still going to," Jonouchi answered back, and he stuck out his tongue for good measure.

Kaiba felt completely locked out. He didn't know why he even remained in the room, where Jonouchi acted like he didn't exist and his sister's curiosity about him had waned as quickly as it had appeared. The longer he sat, the longer his irritation continued to burn, until he found himself on the precipice of exploding. Standing up abruptly, he made his way to the door.

"Hey wait, where are you going," blurted Jonouchi as he cut off what his sister was saying, "we're almost done finishing up, and we still have a game to play. You don't usually leave for another hour. What gives?"

Kaiba turned halfway, his hand still clasped around the doorknob. "I figured I would give you siblings some...space...since you haven't seen each other in a while," he uttered low.

"Liar. You were going to walk out," accused Jonouchi, and he fell back into the hospital bed before letting out an exasperated sigh.

"I can come back another time," said Shizuka with a smile, "I did interrupt your game, and I'll be in town throughout the weekend."

"Don't leave on my account. You're family, and I'm merely a friend." His eyes flashed to Jonouchi. He could feel the blood racing through his veins; it was almost dizzying.

Blinking, seemingly stunned, Jonouchi didn't respond. There was an awkward silence in the room as Jonouchi continued to stare while Shizuka's eyes downcast towards the floor of the room. Whatever cheerful mode they were in before had quickly died.

"I'll see you tomorrow." And turning the knob, Kaiba exited the room.

He knew he was being ridiculous, but Kaiba's anger only continued to rise with each loud clacking of heel against tile. Jonouchi hadn't even tried to deny it, to try to make him stay, other than an unfinished game and routine. On an objective level, Kaiba knew he shouldn't have been surprised. He couldn't compete against a baby sister whom Jonouchi rarely got to see. But hadn't the past week counted for anything? Kaiba had been the only one who really bothered to visit Jonouchi at all during his recuperation, had been the person who collected Jonouchi off the streets all battered and bloody during the middle of the night. And to be ignored - _discarded _\- so easily? It stung, worse than a physical slap to the face.

Kaiba barely slept that night, and morning hit him like a ton of bricks. Almost mechanically, he got himself ready and headed over to the hospital.

When he walked in, Jonouchi was sitting in bed, picking at his food with chopsticks. It didn't look like he'd touched most of it, and apparently getting frustrated, he dumped the entire tray on his bed's side table before turning his attention towards Kaiba.

"Welcome back," he greeted neutrally, "I didn't think you'd come today."

"I said I would," Kaiba replied as he took up residence in his familiar seat.

"You walked out on me yesterday," muttered Jonouchi angrily. He clearly wasn't over that, from the way he tried folding his arms and huffing, "For no good reason at all."

"Your sister came to visit. Obviously, you didn't need the additional company."

"You got jealous," accused Jonouchi, "that's what that show was about."

"Don't be so preposterous," Kaiba scoffed, "You made it abundantly clear that my presence wasn't necessary, so I left. I wasn't going to waste my time becoming part of the decor while you carried on with a heartwarming family reunion."

"Because you've never done the same when Mokuba's around?" Jonouchi rolled his eyes before turning his head away and sulking. "You're fucking ridiculous, Kaiba. We talked all of three minutes and you proceed to freak out over nothing."

Kaiba could feel pressure building behind his eyes. "That's rich, coming from you. You ignore me completely when someone better comes in, and then you childishly demand that I stay when I refuse to play along with your wishes."

"Oh my fucking god," muttered Jonouchi as his face twisted in frustration, "she's my fucking sister, you lunatic! I barely ever see her. The last time I saw her was six months ago and we were catching up. I'm not going to just blow her off, and last time I checked, you had a poor track record of getting along with my friends, so it's not like I expected you to be all chummy with Shizuka. You ignored her completely during Battle City, so what was I supposed to do? You are impossible to please."

"Fuck you, Jonouchi. She asked who I was, and you wouldn't even let me fucking answer. Instead, you raced in, like I was some kind of dirty fucking secret."

"Okay, fine. Next time someone asks, I'll tell them you're that guy that tried to kill me back in high school but we're buddies now, so everything's okay. Will that make you happy?" Jonouchi sighed again before narrowing his eyes and staring at the other side of the room, unwilling to look Kaiba in the face. "I thought you preferred your privacy, since you're a celebrity and all. Shizuka would have never left you alone if I dropped your name. I wasn't blowing you off, Kaiba."

Kaiba let out a short bark of laughter as the thin barrier between his mind and his mouth began to unravel. "You know what? I'm done. You know how I fucking feel about you, yet you're always so quick to throw my past faults in my face. You'll never get over it, so why even bother for a friendship or anything else when I'll always be stuck at square one? Forget that I'm the one who hauled your broken ass off the street and got you here, when everyone else failed you. Forget that I've been your one regular visitor this entire week.

"I'll be better off without you. So that I won't have to worry when your dumb ass gets discharged tomorrow, and you return to that shithole of a war zone that put you here. Since your misguided filialness keeps you a willing prisoner there. Do you know how it feels for me, to know you're going to step past these doors and walk right back into the lion's den, and the next time you end up here could be worse? Because it will happen; make no mistake about it.

"I'm done. I'm tired of trying to play your friend when it's convenient for you. I won't accept that; I won't live off the scraps of your affection." Kaiba began to rise from his seat, the swift deluge of his emotions making the room blurry.

"How long have you been holding that all in," asked Jonouchi in a shaken voice.

"Far too long," Kaiba said darkly, "I shouldn't have bothered."

Jonouchi blinked before looking down at his feet, bringing his knees up closer to his chest despite the visible discomfort on his face.

"You can't really mean all of that," he said in a low voice, as if he was trying to console himself instead of speaking to Kaiba, "I don't want you to just walk out on me because shit is hard. That's not how friendship works."

"Is that what we have?" Kaiba said, feeling his anger rise, "Because it doesn't feel that way to me."

"Yes," Jonouchi answered weakly, "What more could you possibly want? I'm not resilient to shit like you are, I'm still trying to wrap my mind around what happened that night and yeah, sometimes being around you makes me uncomfortable. Not because of you specifically, but..."

He grasped at his hair tightly and closed his eyes before speaking again, "-I'm not comfortable with the idea of what we did together, but I liked it. A lot. And I like you as my friend and I thought maybe having a friendship with you would help make things less confusing, okay?"

"You know I want more than that," Kaiba said quietly. "I'm not going to continue to parade my feelings around, when you won't even give me the courtesy of a refusal. It's fucking cowardly, and frankly, quite insulting."

"I can't refuse something I'm still unsure about," answered Jonouchi. "You make things really difficult, Kaiba."

"What is there to be unsure about? I'm not making anything difficult. Either you feel the same way, or you don't."

"Kaiba, I don't know how I feel about it," Jonouchi admitted, "I'm still trying to figure that all out. Not everyone is as sure of themselves as you are, and you do make it difficult. Really difficult. Between giving me the cold shoulder at work and kissing me in your car, how am I really supposed to feel about you? It's confusing as fuck, and unlike you, I didn't wake up knowing I could 'prefer men.' I thought women just weren't that interesting and maybe that would eventually change. You just keep pushing me..."

Kaiba clenched his fists by his sides. He should have already just left, but something kept him rooted to the floor. "You won't have to worry about it anymore, then. I'm not going to wait around and be treated like this while you 'figure things out.' I won't burden you with my feelings, because we're done."

"How could I try starting a relationship with you if we can't even handle a friendship?" Jonouchi sat up again, grabbing the bear off his bedside table and aiming to throw it at Kaiba's direction. "Don't you fucking dare just take off on me like a kid having a tantrum because you can't get what you want for once. I want to figure this out. Neither of us will be happy if you just walk out, and you know it.

"Besides, your weird-ass personality quirks won't let you drop this, so don't even fool yourself."

"You're only deciding that you want to 'figure this out' now that I've decided it's no longer an option. You couldn't be bothered all those weeks ago. And you have the nerve to call _me_ childish?"

Jonouchi rolled his eyes before throwing the bear at Kaiba's face, the stuffed animal not getting too far despite the effort. It fell before Kaiba's feet. "Would you stop trying to fight for once and listen to me? I don't want you to just walk out of my life like this, Kaiba. You've been in it for as long as I can remember, for better or worse, and I'm not going to let you end it like this. If you want a relationship, I'll give it to you, but you can't fucking rush me into things I'm not ready for, okay?"

Kaiba felt his skin go cold, goosebumps erupting along his arms. "I don't want a relationship that's contrived. If you're just saying things you think I want to hear, just to keep me around, then you can go screw yourself. I don't want-"

Jonouchi laughed a little, shaking his head at Kaiba's words, "I wouldn't be offering to hang around your miserable ass more if I didn't like you at least a little," he said before turning his eyes to look Kaiba directly in the face, "Do you want to try to make this work or not?"

"Yes." The answer was honest and instantaneous.

"Okay then," sighed Jonouchi, "Are we done arguing now?"

"I don't know." Kaiba felt deflated and worn-out. It was barely ten o'clock in the morning. He fell back into his chair, cradling his forehead in his palms.

"Do you want to keep fighting?"

"No. But I'm not sure I believe you," came the muttered reply.

"You're so damn difficult." Jonouchi grabbed the remote control on his bed, pushing the button to lower the mattress so he was lying down instead of sitting up. Shifting onto his side, he reached out and made an attempt to grab Kaiba's hand. "I'm on too many drugs right now to be capable of lying well," he offered before smiling, "I can't have you just walk out of my life. I still owe you curry, after all."

Kaiba peered at Jonouchi through his hands, the warmth of Jonouchi's own against his sending shivers down his spine. He returned a feeble smile as he said, "Yes, you do."

"So what are we going to do now, then? We wasted a lot of time just screaming at each other..."

"I don't know. You barely touched your breakfast. I could get us something better to eat, and you could tell me how your sister is doing." It wasn't exactly an apology, but Kaiba didn't really think one was necessary anymore.

"Okay, sounds like a plan." Jonouchi let go of Kaiba's hand and shoved him playfully instead, "Bring me back something sweet to eat."


	21. Chapter 21

It took two more weeks before Jonouchi was up and functioning again. His ribs had been mending, but they still hadn't completely finished healing, and his wrist was still in a brace. Jonouchi hated it. It was annoying, the material was scratchy, and whenever he was alone and not being watched, he'd stubbornly take it off before eventually getting caught by someone.

He just felt silly wearing one while trying to duel. Thankfully, his Duel Disk could fit onto his forearm without really touching it, but still. It wasn't completely comfortable, and Jonouchi had a tournament to practice for. Getting beaten up and stuck at the hospital had really thrown him off, and it had been difficult trying to practice while drugged up on strong painkillers, but Jonouchi was much better now.

His next tournament would be a big one in Tokyo. Akihabara, to be precise, and all the businessmen at the hostess party would be there to watch it. The pressure was on, and Jonouchi looked forward to it, despite his growing anxiety.

He was a major player, now. Corporate-sponsored, with all the pleasures and pressures that went along with it. Not only would Jonouchi be getting a nice hotel room and chauffeur services, but Kaiba Corporation was also taking care of his meals (or rather, forcing him to go to certain business dinners which were free) and travel expenses. The cash prize for first place was a big one, and everyone at work had been dumping the expectation of winning on him as soon as Jonouchi had returned after being discharged.

Surprisingly, Kaiba had been the only person not to say a word about it. Even Mokuba, who was usually pretty busy with other things and didn't pay Jonouchi that much attention, had been showing up increasingly during Jonouchi's practice Duels to add his little quips in. Most of it was encouraging, but Mokuba had his moments of seriousness, as well. As the days went by, his cheery countenance changed into something more resembling of his older brother.

Jonouchi didn't let it get to him, though. He was too busy to let it unnerve him, and he worked on improving his deck and playing against the Dueling Machine every day, as well as practicing against the Kaiba Corporation trainers who gave Jonouchi instruction.

Dueling for a company was much different than dueling for himself, and Jonouchi found himself exhausted almost every day right after work. It was worse than his days with Yugi's grandpa, when the old man had tutored him after school. Now, training for almost eight hours straight was just overtaxing, and Jonouchi found himself nearly sick of looking at his cards by the time the end of work rolled around.

However, he still dragged himself to the Game Shop most days, just so he could get some further help from Sugoroku before passing out in Yugi's old bedroom.

He figured it was a good compromise on the fight he'd been having with Kaiba over his dumb apartment. Yugi wasn't around, and Sugoroku didn't mind Jonouchi hanging around. The neighborhood was far safer, and unafraid of getting jumped anytime soon, Jonouchi decided to just stay there until he knew what he was going to do about his apartment.

Besides, he had no idea where his father even was. The local crime boss was looking for him, that much was for certain, and Jonouchi was not going to pay them off. Not this time, and it would probably be weeks before Jonouchi's father would scrape up the money, pay them off, and come back like nothing had ever happened. It was how things usually worked between them.

Until then, Jonouchi would just continue staying at Yugi's place. It wasn't like he hadn't done that before in high school, so he was already used to it.

That at least improved on some of his daily stress. Sitting in the room Jonouchi refused to call his office, he flipped through his cards for the hundredth time as he got ready for yet another practice Duel down in the training department before lunch. His brain had become so glazed that he almost hadn't heard the knock on the door.

"Uh...yeah?"

"You could learn to answer in a more professional manner, you know," Kaiba sighed as he opened the door. His sleeves were rolled up, his tie slightly askew - evidently Jonouchi wasn't the only one working hard that morning. Kaiba hovered by the door, almost hesitant to enter. It was just bizarre, but at the same time, Kaiba had been acting oddly distant ever since Jonouchi had come back to work. Weren't they supposed to be dating?

"... Are you going to come in or not?"

Kaiba's eyes flickered up to Jonouchi's, and he took two quick steps inward, pulling the door shut. His gaze cast down to the cards gripped in Jonouchi's hands and splayed across the desk. They were everywhere, some sticking up in haphazard piles, others teetering dangerously close to the desk's edge. Kaiba raised an eyebrow. "Those might be for your use, but they're still company property. If you bend or damage them too much, they'll be unplayable, and I'll be the one paying to replace them."

"Okay, Mom," sighed Jonouchi, "Did you come here to pick at me or did you actually have something more important to say? If you're worried about your precious cards, I'll bring my own to work..."

Why did he have to say shit like that? Jonouchi could feel his irritation rising, but he tried to push it aside. Kaiba probably came in for something else, and like always, needed to find something to comment about before he actually got to what he was preparing to say.

"Actually, yes," Kaiba said as he leaned against the door, crossing his arms. "Are you busy tonight?"

"Not really, no..."

Another business dinner? Jonouchi could feel himself screaming internally, not wanting to be swallowed up in another night of salarymen drinking themselves stupid as Kaiba glared at everyone from the bar. It wasn't how Jonouchi liked to spend his evenings, but for some reason, the rest of the country just _loved _having any excuse to drink insane amounts of alcohol and blame it on their work.

"I have tickets to the opera. Would you like to come with me?"

"An opera?"

What the hell?

This wasn't exactly what Jonouchi had predicted Kaiba to say, and he didn't hide the shock from his face all too well. Why the hell would they be going to an opera? Wasn't that for like, old people? And unless it was in Japanese, Jonouchi would have no idea what anyone would be saying, and quite frankly, he was afraid he'd pass out asleep from boredom while sitting through it.

That, and he wasn't sure if Kaiba was actually trying to ask him out. They were kinda seeing each other now though, weren't they? Jonouchi didn't really know. He remembered talking about it after screaming at each other in the hospital, but the details were a bit fuzzy. Neither of them bothered to bring it up afterwards, so Jonouchi didn't know just what was going on with that and decided to not worry about it, since it would probably be brought up again eventually. Kaiba never let things go for too long.

"Are you talking like, a date?"

Kaiba looked away, suddenly uncomfortable. The sun streaming out from behind Jonouchi was casting huge swaths of shadows, making it hard to discern the look upon Kaiba's face. "If you want to call it that, yes. I'm a long-time benefactor, so I receive tickets each season. Do you want to go or not?"

"Do you want to go with me or are you just trying to unload a ticket on someone?" asked Jonouchi as he raised an eyebrow. For someone who wanted a relationship so badly, Kaiba was acting so standoffish. It only put Jonouchi more on edge, and he found his palms breaking into a sweat as he became more and more self-conscious of himself.

Finally meeting Jonouchi's eyes, Kaiba said, "Yes, I want to go with you."

"Okay well..." Jonouchi paused, trying to find the right words so he didn't offend, "I don't really know much of anything about opera. That sounds way fancier than anything I've ever been to before, you know. I'm not exactly cultured, Kaiba... I didn't even know how to tie a tie until like a few months ago."

"You don't have to know anything. You won't even have to talk to anyone. Just show up looking the part, and people will make their own assumptions. You won't be alone."

"No, I mean like... I don't understand opera. Period. It sounds like a whole lot of dramatic singing in a language I don't understand and rich people watch it..."

He stopped himself from saying something more juvenile in case Kaiba got offended and tried running off and disappearing for another two weeks. Having his company again would be nice, and maybe outside of the office, Kaiba would stop acting so damn weird.

Why did Kaiba have to like snobby stuff? Normal people just went out for pizza, not go see a fucking opera for a first date...

Kaiba made a noise somewhere between a laugh and a snort. "Then view this as an opportunity to educate yourself culturally. If you hate it, I'll never force you to attend another," he offered.

"Will you buy me dinner before, too?" asked Jonouchi. "I can't sit through something for several hours without eating."

"Yes, as long as you promise not to spill anything on the tuxedo I'll be giving you," Kaiba returned with a grin.

"You're excited about this, aren't you?" snorted Jonouchi, "Seriously, a tux?"

A small sense of dread came over him. This would be worse than a business gathering. At least during those, Jonouchi could drink. If he got bored during the show, Kaiba would be right there to see it and would no doubt get pissed off, and Kaiba was getting him some fancy suit to wear so he didn't stick out.

Opera. Why opera? Why couldn't it have been something more normal, like baseball or even stupid-ass golfing?

"Seriously, a tux," Kaiba parroted, "It's opening night, and we have the best seats in the house. You can't just show up in jeans."

"I wasn't thinking that, Kaiba..." Rolling his eyes, Jonouchi brought all his cards together, giving up on them for the time being, before dumping his elbows on the table and sighing, "Why did you ignore me for two weeks?"

There it was - that guarded expression again. "I wasn't ignoring you."

"Then what, you just forgot to talk to me after all that crap at the hospital?" accused Jonouchi, "I almost thought I'd hallucinated the entire thing because I thought we were in a relationship, whatever that entails..."

"I still visited you while you were there. You've been busy at work; I've been busy. I thought you would find it nice that I wasn't breathing down your neck for a change."

"Maybe," snorted Jonouchi, "but you could have stopped by a little to say hello. You're not that busy that you can't spare yourself two minutes to come down here and show your face every once in a while..."

"I'm here now," Kaiba said so softly that Jonouchi almost missed it.

"So we're together then, right?" Jonouchi paused, staring at his hands as he felt Kaiba's eyes on him, "What exactly does that even mean?"

"It means you'll come with me tonight, for starters," Kaiba said as he shifted his weight on his heels, "Beyond that, we'll find out. I'm open to suggestions."

"I don't even know what to suggest. I thought you'd have a good idea of what this would entail when we decided to do this two weeks ago," sighed Jonouchi, "I mean, you said you wanted this, so I thought you knew what that meant exactly. As embarrassing as it is to admit, I never really dated anyone before. Not very seriously..."

Not since the girl in his last year of high school, and that was a disaster. They didn't do all that much together, anyways, besides eat out and waste money at arcades.

"I don't know if you've noticed, Jonouchi, but I've been dating my job for the past several years. It's not like I have a whole lot of expertise at this, either," Kaiba frowned.

"But you're supposed to be the genius," teased Jonouchi as he finally lifted his eyes up and smirked at Kaiba's frown, "I thought you knew everything about everything. Are you saying you're not exactly a perfect being now?"

"Every pathway to knowledge has its beginning," Kaiba remarked as he turned to open the door. "I'll have your suit sent over after work; we'll leave from here at six."

Jonouchi blinked. "Yeah, okay. You know I'm not staying at my old apartment right now, right? I've been at Yugi's place."

Kaiba turned to look back over his shoulder. "Is that so? That's a...wise alternative," he said carefully, "but not a permanent solution."

"I was just letting you know, Kaiba. I wasn't looking for your approval on it. I'll figure out what to do about it all later. I need to focus on winning this next competition anyways."

"By all means." And with that, Kaiba disappeared, leaving Jonouchi once again to the solitude of his not-office.

"That dick."

But at least they didn't fight. Although Jonouchi didn't get too many clear answers about anything, either. They went through a lot of screaming and yelling just for neither of them to really know what they planned on doing with each other. That was a little surprising, but then again, typical. At least Kaiba finally decided to break his dry spell and come down from his office to say something, even if it meant Jonouchi was being dragged to yet_ another_ formal event that made him feel uncomfortable.

Maybe drinking a little bit before going would help. Kaiba had money, so it wasn't like Jonouchi needed to be a cheap date, and alcohol would keep him from becoming bored. At least if he didn't like the opera, he could probably find some drunken humor from it.

But he didn't want to be loud and stupid, either, so he'd have to be careful about it.

At the very least, the night promised to be interesting...

"I'm a little impressed you look so put-together," Kaiba said as he eyed Jonouchi from across the table, "It almost looks natural on you."

Jonouchi made a small noise through his teeth as he shook his head slightly. He'd had help. Isa-chan had assisted with cleaning Jonouchi up and fixing his hair when he sent her a distressed text message before lunch had ended, and by the miracle of some deity, she'd shown up in time to help Jonouchi get ready.

Now he was sitting there awkwardly at some restaurant where he felt almost on display, wearing clothes that weren't his and a hairstyle that actually kept his usually wild blond locks in check. It was nice not having a giant mop all over his face, but the stiff clothes weren't something Jonouchi ever wanted to get used to.

Kaiba had brought him to some stuffy European place, too. It wasn't fake Italian or some Japanese rendition of French country food. The place was actually reservation-only and required not only "proper eating utensils," but the food was authentic.

Which also made it intimidating. Jonouchi had not known what to order. Italian had never been his exact cup of tea.

"So what opera are we seeing," asked Jonouchi, trying to change the subject off himself to spare himself embarrassment, "You never told me."

"Puccini's final," Kaiba said as he took a sip of his wine, "_Turandot_."

"Which is about?"

Setting his glass down, Kaiba idly scratched a fingernail against its stem. "It's a love story set in Ancient China. A princess - Turandot - refuses to marry and forces her suitors to solve three riddles. If they cannot, they are executed. It's pretty easy to guess how the rest of it goes."

"And this interests you because what, the puzzles or the love story?" Jonouchi snorted before drinking more of his wine. He was halfway done with his glass, and they hadn't even gotten their food yet. To save himself the embarrassment of butchering the Italian language, he'd allowed Kaiba to just order for him. "Because either you're really sick in the head or just more gay than I had first imagined...

"What kind of Chinese name is Turandot anyways? I thought they were all like Chan or something..."

Kaiba frowned, pushing his glass to the side. A waiter automatically appeared to refill it. "The original tale was Persian, but the opera was adapted from an Italian play. Somewhere along the line, the story's location changed to China - probably due to the prevalent Orientalism of the time." He swirled the dark liquid around, a tiny typhoon in his cup. "But it's one of the most well-loved and enduring operas, even though the composer never finished it himself."

Jonouchi went quiet into thought, sipping his glass again as the silence returned. It sounded somewhat interesting, which was promising. Kaiba was a giant nerd, so he'd probably enjoy the entire thing, and it was probable that he'd seen it before, too. It just came as a great surprise to Jonouchi that he'd be the kind of person to sit through something like that.

"Why do you like opera in the first place?" asked Jonouchi as he brought the glass away from his lips, "It just seems like a strange kind of thing for someone your age to be interested in. I mean, games and technology, I understand, but this seems so out of left field and not what I imagined when I think of you..."

"It's been said that music and science are linked…" Kaiba paused, his gaze sweeping across the dimly-lit room. The faint light of the table's candle flashed across his cheekbones, occasionally rising up to briefly illuminate blue. "My mother...was an opera enthusiast. She appreciated all of the fine arts, really, but opera was always her favorite. We used to go often, when I was a child."

"Didn't you get bored, though?"

Jonouchi would have been crying tears from feeling constrained if he had to sit through a show as a child. He was slightly afraid that he wouldn't be able to handle the night, although his patience had improved since being a grade schooler. His parents hadn't taken him out much, and his mother certainly hasn't bothered to educate him on "fine arts." She only cared to kick him out of the house after school and make sure he returned before dark, and that's as far as their general relationship went.

"No, she was careful to foster an interest within me - my mother made sure to expose me to a variety of different things, suitable for a child yet still stimulating enough for my intellectual level. It was time we got to spend together as a family, so I didn't mind."

"I see. That must have been really nice..."

Unsure of what to say, Jonouchi just fell silent. His family hadn't been like that at all. His father had worked, but not so much that he wasn't around. Before Shizuka was born, things had been actually decent, but Jonouchi realized at an early age that his mother was cold towards him. He didn't know why, but her interest in him hadn't been very personal, and he'd spent the majority of his time with his father, who had a blue-collar job all his life.

Most kids didn't get that kind of chance. They maybe saw their father once a week, if that, because they were always working or partying _for _work, and the majority of children's youth was spent with their mothers, but not Jonouchi. His life had been the complete opposite. Despite his mother only working a part-time gig, it was like she actively avoided being around in the house much.

"You're lucky that you had a good relationship with your mom. I wish I could say the same."

"I only had her for a short time. Even still, I can remember those times as clear as day." Although the words painted a pleasant picture, Kaiba looked troubled, a small crease between his eyebrows.

"Let's talk about something else," said Jonouchi as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "You're looking depressed, and this dinner was supposed to be fun, right?" Well, as fun as stuffy European dinners could get, Jonouchi presumed. "What exactly did you order for dinner? I'm starving."

"Monkfish with prosciutto and artichokes for you, the stuffed quail for me. I thought I wouldn't order anything too crazy for you."

"I don't even know what prosciutto is..." mumbled Jonouchi. He knew what quail was. A small bird. He'd seen it enough times, grocery stores all over sold the eggs, although Jonouchi had never bought them. Too expensive. Just like Kaiba to order.

"It's just a fancy word for salted ham. You'll like it," Kaiba smirked playfully.

"You seem so sure of that."

The food arrived before more could be said about it, though. The presentation was so pretty, Jonouchi almost felt bad about eating it, but his stomach couldn't be stopped. He hadn't eaten that much for lunch, and looking at the small portion sizes, he knew he'd be hungry again in no time at all.

Using his fork and trying not to fumble with it, Jonouchi took a piece before trying a bite. The taste was robust, with rich flavors that were on the verge of being overwhelming. It was good. Extremely good, in fact. No wonder someone couldn't eat too much of it. Jonouchi could feel his mouth tingle as he took another bite, and somewhere between finishing his filet and trying the proscuitto, he'd forgotten all about Kaiba sitting in front of him.

"I guess I ordered right," Kaiba said, smiling at Jonouchi's already half-eaten plate.

"Yeah, but using a fork is killing me. Why did you chose foreign food? I mean its good, but chopsticks are so much easier to use..."

"Italian food for an Italian opera...I thought it would be a good way to get into the spirit of things."

"We could have ordered a pizza," joked Jonouchi.

As if. Kaiba probably wouldn't even know how to eat one. In all likelihood, he'd try to use a fork and knife, which would be hilarious to see. Shizuka used to do that, believing she was being "proper" and Jonouchi had always gotten a kick out of that. It took her longer to eat that way, which meant more pizza for him to stuff his face with.

"And go the easy route? Never," Kaiba laughed. "My nights aren't complete until I have to start speaking in tongues just to get fed."

"Do you even know Italian?" challenged Jonouchi, "I bet you're just full of bullshit."

Spearing a bit of quail, Kaiba chewed slowly before answering. "Not enough to really speak it. I know the basics, and it's close enough to other Romance languages to figure out, but no, it's not a language I actively know."

"What do you know, then? Well, besides English. I've heard you speak English before, better than the rest of us, of course," snorted Jonouchi. Kaiba probably had tutors. All the rich kids did, and anyone hoping to do International Business needed good conversational skills, but Jonouchi had hated it. He couldn't distinguish between his Rs and Ls, and his good for nothing father wouldn't help him study.

Kaiba leaned back in his seat, mentally ticking off the list, "German, Chinese, Korean, Latin, French, Russian, Arabic - most of the classics and ones used for business. I have working knowledge in others, but not mastery."

"I don't understand how one person could possibly learn so many..." Jonouchi moved his fork around his plate, flipping a piece of artichoke over. "I couldn't even get one down, and you know seven? That's ridiculous."

"It's all about recognizing and applying patterns. Some people are more wired than others for multilingual capacity - just the luck of the draw, I suppose." Kaiba took a long sip of his wine and pushed his plate away. There was still a bit of uneaten food leftover, but Kaiba had never demonstrated a huge appetite, at least to Jonouchi's knowledge.

"Okay then," mused Jonouchi, not quite over feeling stupid, "Which one is your favorite?"

"French," Kaiba replied without hesitation.

"Why?"

He was playing with his glass again. "I enjoy the way it rolls off the tongue, its sound and its flow. My mother taught me the basics; she used to sing in it around the house."

"Oh."

Despite feeling curious, Jonouchi stopped himself from pressing further. It didn't seem like a good idea to push for details. Kaiba would tell when and if he wanted to, and besides, Jonouchi didn't want to get asked questions about his own mother in return. She was a sore subject, someone Jonouchi preferred to forget about whenever he could manage to.

"Well, I wish I could just manage English, but I don't think that's ever going to happen," told Jonouchi as he finally finished his glass of wine and leaned back against his chair, "I want to go to California one day and not be stuck unable to talk to anyone. But I can't pronounce anything worth shit."

"Why California?"

"Why not?"

"I'm just interested in hearing your reasons why," Kaiba hummed.

"I've never been outside of Japan," sighed Jonouchi, "and I think America would be exciting. The tournaments look really cool there too, and I wouldn't feel so weird being unique looking since I'm sure I'd be around more blonds... that aren't fake."

"You'd blend right in until you opened your mouth," Kaiba grinned. "There's training if you want it, you know. Every Kaiba Corp employee gets access to professional development."

"I'd blend in? So you've been there before?"

"Of course. Several times. My adoptive father dragged me there for a few business meetings, and I've attended tournaments, as well. And I've had to make visits for the KaibaLand project. I haven't done much in the way of sightseeing, though."

Jonouchi couldn't imagine going somewhere like that and not at least taking a day to look around. Sure, Kaiba was busy, but that was just a wasted opportunity. Especially if he was near one of the big cities. Anzu had even been over there before, on family vacation, and she said the land and people were completely different, to the point of almost being overwhelming. That actually sounded appealing, being somewhere so different...

"You should make time if you go again." Glass refilled, Jonouchi went back to drinking a little before a dessert menu was discreetly placed on their table, "There's no reason not to. I mean, if I were you, I'd want to look around. I thought the states were bigger than Japan."

"You know how business meetings go, so imagine being a tourist surrounded by those kinds of people. I've almost always gone alone, so the desire to go out and explore just wasn't there." Kaiba was slowly rocking his wine glass back and forth, precariously driving the liquid to the rim before swinging it back. "If I had a tolerable traveling companion, maybe I'd think differently." His eyes flashed briefly to Jonouchi before returning to his glass.

"Mokuba won't go with you?"

A tiny frown tugged at the corner of Kaiba's lips. "He has, before. Only on a handful of meetings. Our itineraries were so tight, though, that there was no time. I didn't want to pull him out of school too much, either. Now that he's older, he doesn't want to hang out with me as often."

"I thought you two were close," mused Jonouchi. He was afraid to continue with anymore about it, though. They had been fighting before. Kaiba was probably still sensitive from it, even if he liked to pretend it hadn't bothered him. Jonouchi knew better. Even though he wasn't close friends with Mokuba and hadn't really seen them together since high school, he knew they were close. Probably too close, even.

"You don't need your brother to go take a vacation though," said Jonouchi in a brighter tone, "just get some friends. It wouldn't kill you to find more people to socialize with that you actually like or aren't trying to get something from. They might surprise you by even being a little interesting."

"Thanks, but I'll pass," Kaiba said dryly. "I barely have enough time for the few I _do_ find worth the effort; spreading myself out even thinner than I already am doesn't sound appealing at all."

"Maybe not at first, but life can be surprising." Picking up the dessert menu, Jonouchi glanced through the options. Unfortunately, it was all print and he couldn't read it. Everything was in Italian and there was no Japanese translation. "Help."

Kaiba glanced over the offered menu. "Cheese cake, chocolate cake, bread pudding, custard, or ice cream. Your pick."

"That can't possibly be what's on the menu, it all sounds boring and this place is fancy," frowned Jonouchi, "just pick what you think I'd like, smart ass."

"I gave you the stripped-down versions," Kaiba smirked. A waiter appeared by his side. "We'll take one panna cotta." Turning back to Jonouchi, he explained, "I think you'll like it. It's not overly sweet."

"I don't mind sweet."

Although some stuff could be overwhelming. Like the junky crap Honda liked to buy from the grocery stores that came from overseas. Everything was so sweet, it lacked any real flavor, and Jonouchi couldn't eat more than a bite or two before becoming put off by it.

"But thanks anyways. I'm still hungry, imagine that..."

"You could probably eat a small country and still have room for dessert."

"Yes," Jonouchi agreed, "I probably could."

The concert hall was enormous, and Jonouchi instantly felt uncomfortable. He'd passed by it on occasion, but the venue had never really registered on his radar - it wasn't a place for him, and he could never envision himself ever attending or even affording one of its events, and so the place had melded into the background of Jonouchi's vision over the years. Yet there he was, standing upon its plush red carpeting, in a new pair of dress shoes, and feeling tight under the collar.

People were staring. He tried to tell himself that it wasn't _him _\- that it was _Kaiba _they were really staring at, and while it was the truth, it hadn't made him feel any less awkward. To Jonouchi's great relief, no one approached them.

The steady murmur in the lobby peaked then lowered as the surrounding lights grew dim, an electronic bell sounding through the loudspeakers.

"The show will be starting soon; we should get to our seats," Kaiba said as he purposefully strode off, making sure Jonouchi was following suit. As the crowds began streaming towards the concert hall entrance, Jonouchi's uncomfortable feeling heightened. Domino's elite were all around him, in equally expensive suits and sequined gowns. The dimmed lights made the massive chandeliers overhead glow brighter, making Jonouchi realize just how high the ceilings in the venue were. All of it made him feel even more like an insect.

Comparatively, Kaiba looked at ease. The setting, the clothes, the people - it all looked natural next to him, and he didn't seem unsettled in the least. Jonouchi had always known there was a difference between them, but the reality of just how vast had never really cemented itself until that very moment, standing side-by-side dressed in designer tuxedos inside of Domino's most expensive building. He felt a twisting in his gut, and a peculiar constricting in his chest.

When they got to the top of the stairs, the usher let them through without Kaiba even having to show any tickets. Jonouchi followed him into the darkness, his anxiety slowly ebbing as the crowds faded, and it was just the two of them again. After climbing up a few ramps punctuated by a few sharp turns, Kaiba finally entered an open doorway and took a seat on a small balcony. Jonouchi sat down beside him, looking around in all directions. There were three other unclaimed seats, and Jonouchi could make out other small balconies jutting out next to theirs, although he couldn't see inside them well enough. There were balconies like theirs across the way, too, and above them, but they were all so far away and the room so dim that Jonouchi couldn't make out much, either.

"Not a fan of crowds?" asked Jonouchi as he adjusted to his seat.

"I prefer to enjoy the arts in privacy," Kaiba said as he crossed his legs and reached over to collect two booklets from the small side table next to him. He handed the additional program over to Jonouchi and paged through his own. "There's a synopsis of each act outlined inside, in case you want to know beforehand what's going on. But everything will be translated above the stage, so you won't have to worry about not understanding what they're saying."

"This seems like a lot of work just to enjoy a show," mumbled Jonouchi as he began glancing through the program, "but alright. At least it's translated, or else we'd have a problem."

"Opera is less about the words and more about the feelings," Kaiba replied, "With really great productions, the acting and the singing is enough to convey the story."

"Since when did you become such a damn romantic?" snorted Jonouchi, "I didn't think someone as stoic as you would ever like something like _this_."

"I'm not a _romantic_," Kaiba scoffed, "but I wasn't raised to be a cultural philistine, either. There's nothing wrong with appreciating culture."

"You're a romantic," whispered Jonouchi as the lights began to fade and the crowd went silent. Kaiba was probably just too proud to admit it. No masculine male liked admitting that they actually were capable of feeling_ moved_ from caring about others, especially fictional characters on a stage. High drama and emotion was feminine, or at least Jonouchi thought it was.

Although he was plenty capable of crying during particular movies, although he hated to.

"Think whatever you'd like," Kaiba sighed as they were bathed in black. The audience began to clap, and Jonouchi mimicked along with them - he could just barely see the conductor's head peeking out from the orchestra pit. Silence returned and then was split by the sound of blaring horns, the music dark and foreboding as the stage curtains slowly pulled away. Jonouchi couldn't help the tiny gasp that escaped his lips as a starry night was revealed, a grand, shining gold palace in the distance, actors clothed in intricate costumes - villagers, soldiers, and royalty clustered together. He could feel his heartbeat quicken as the actor at the center of the stage began to sing in a deep baritone.

The music began to swell with the man's announcement, setting the villagers into a frenzy upon his exit. The soldiers bore down on them brutally, and a woman began to sing anxiously, holding onto a fallen elderly man as a young man approached them.

"Who's that?" Jonouchi whispered, feeling somewhat lost from the swarms of people onstage. He found it hard to divide his attention between the action and the supertitles, and he could feel his own anxiety grow with each missed line of dialogue.

"The Prince," Kaiba answered in a low voice, "He's just been reunited with his father."

"Oh." Kaiba hadn't even taken his eyes from the stage. Frowning a little, Jonouchi settled back into his seat, deciding to test Kaiba's theory. It was too much for him to concentrate on both the words and the actions, and so Jonouchi decided not to worry too much about it and just focus on what he could.

He could only understand a little bit of it. The bright set with the costumes and loud chorus was overwhelming, but Jonouchi focused on the Prince, who seemed to be enthralled by someone who only appeared briefly on the stage. If they weren't speaking Italian, it would all be so much easier to understand, and all he could really catch was the disagreement between the Prince and his father.

"What's going on," said Jonouchi as he elbowed Kaiba lightly, "I can't keep up with this like you can. There's too much going on at once."

"They've just witnessed the execution of the Prince of Persia. The Prince has fallen in love with Turandot upon first sight, and everyone but the crowd is trying to dissuade him from undergoing the trial to marry her."

"Why did they kill the Prince of Persia," said Jonouchi as he rolled his eyes, "and love at first sight is ridiculous..."

"Because he failed." There was the loud ringing of a gong, and darkness returned as laughter faded on the stage. "That's the end of act one; there will be a short intermission now. Are you going to talk through the next two acts, as well?" Kaiba teased lightly. The lights slowly came on again, and Jonouchi had to blink rapidly to adjust his eyes.

"Probably."

Kaiba sighed. "Like I said, don't worry too much about it. All of the characters have been introduced now, so it won't be as confusing anymore."

"I'm not worrying about it." Jonouchi rolled his eyes as he leaned into his seat and crossed his legs, "You're worrying about my worrying about it when I'm not."

"Sure, Jonouchi," Kaiba chuckled. He grew silent as he paged through his program.

Jonouchi just snorted and took out his own program, flipping through it. He wasn't really keen on actually reading anything in it, just looking at the pictures as he waited for the second act to start. Patience had never been one of his strengths, and he could feel nervous energy building up inside of him as the audience milled about around them.

Leaning forward a bit, resting his elbows and chin upon the railing, Jonouchi watched as people left and returned to their seats and as groups formed together in idle conversation. He thought it was kind of nice, friends meeting up at events like this, and the genuine looks of surprise and delight on some of the people's faces made Jonouchi smile softly in response.

Kaiba didn't participate in any of that. He was content to sit in silence by himself, letting the world pass by around him. Jonouchi peeked over to him, looking over his appearance.

Kaiba had said that the tuxedo looked natural on Jonouchi, but Jonouchi thought that Kaiba was just trying to flatter him. He didn't feel comfortable in those stuffy clothes, but Kaiba wore it all effortlessly. Jonouchi had never seen him in such formal wear before, but Kaiba looked as though he was made for those kinds of clothes. While Jonouchi felt ridiculous in his tuxedo, Kaiba didn't look silly at all. If anything, it made him look even more alluring in a kind of way Jonouchi tried to ignore as he felt his face begin to burn. The clothes made him look like the models he saw on the magazines all the time, wearing thousand dollar suits for Armani and the like. It didn't make sense that someone could look so effortlessly perfect all the time while Jonouchi couldn't even get his hair to cooperate with him on a good day.

If someone had taken a picture of Kaiba as he sat there reading through his program, they probably would have thought they were looking at a perfume ad for Vogue.

Kaiba had always appeared that way, though. Jonouchi just didn't pay so much attention to it until now, and snapping his head away, he buried his mind into reading the program instead of staring.

The lights started flickering again, the same electronic tune from before sounding through the room.

"You look so intent." Kaiba's voice interrupted Jonouchi's concentration. He'd been reading the same paragraph three times already.

"Huh?"

"You've been staring at that page like you want to burn a hole through it."

"Which means you've been staring at me long enough to notice," pointed out Jonouchi as he placed his program on his lap and changed the leg he was crossing, "Stop studying me, weirdo."

Kaiba rolled his eyes and leaned forward into Jonouchi's space, putting his hand on his thigh before sliding it down to grab the program lying just a few inches away from it. "You're the most interesting thing to watch until the show comes back on," Kaiba said in his ear before smirking a little, "I can't help it. But I'll try to stop."

Jonouchi gave him the side eye while Kaiba fixed himself back into his seat, setting their programs on top of each other on the table next to him. He could feel his entire face burning. Thankfully the lights were dim enough that Kaiba probably couldn't see it, but Jonouchi knew he was blushing. He couldn't help it. His entire body went from cold to hot in one quick flash and he squirmed in his seat until the curtains finally parted and the music began to play.

The remainder of the opera seemed to fly by once Jonouchi stopped fighting with himself and just focused on the acting and singing. He became completely engrossed by the story, feeling himself getting swept away by the music. He'd felt a strange prickling in his chest during the Prince's victory song - it seemed oddly familiar, like he'd heard it someplace before but couldn't place the memory, and his eyes stung as the music and the Prince's voice combined in one high crescendo.

It was overwhelming. At this point, Jonouchi didn't have much of a clue as to what was going on, but he felt rattled when Liu had stabbed herself and died. He wasn't even sure why it bothered him so much. Jonouchi had seen someone actually get stabbed before, but watching her crumble over onto the ground while the princess did nothing.

At that moment, Jonouchi knew he didn't like the opera, but it didn't stop him from crying anyways. Everyone except Turandot herself seemed so distraught.

Jumping in his seat, Jonouchi spooked when he was quickly sent back to reality, Kaiba having bumped him with his hand. He was holding out a handkerchief, and taking it, Jonouchi tried to discreetly wipe his eyes, although he knew it was too late already. Kaiba had seen him and hopefully he wouldn't say anything about it, _ever_.

Thankfully, there wasn't too much left after that. Jonouchi felt drained and he found himself not liking any of the characters, despite not really understanding what they were singing. No longer reading the translations at all, he just continued to grimace as silent tears fell down his face for no particular reason.

"This opera is stupid."

Kaiba didn't reply. Crossing his arms, Jonouchi just slumped further in his seat as he watched the end unfold. He sucked in a breath when the Prince kissed Turandot, but he couldn't have been happier when the ending finally came.

Why would anyone want to watch something so sad? The girl Liu had died because she loved the Prince, who loved the princess who had her tortured. Everything about the opera seemed entirely wrong, but saying so wouldn't do anything. Sniffling, he wiped his face one last time before shoving it into his pocket and getting up from his seat.

The lights were coming back on. Everyone had finished clapping, Kaiba included, but Jonouchi didn't. He felt betrayed.

But he stood still and waited, since he didn't want to be rude about it, either. Kaiba seemed to have enjoyed it. Although he wasn't smiling, his face didn't look so strained like he usually appeared and he was clapping enthusiastically. Jonouchi wished he could have liked it too, but the ending didn't seem fair to him at all. Why did the poor girl have to kill herself for a bunch of rich assholes? It left a bad taste in his mouth.

The actors had already taken to the stage and had their bows, and the steady murmuring of conversation as the audience exited reemerged.

"Are you ready to go?" Kaiba asked, waiting.

"Yeah."

He felt tired and dazed, and the crying hadn't helped matters at all. Jonouchi didn't even remember how they had made it back to the car, but there he was, slumped in the passenger seat. He felt chilled - the November temperatures were on a steady decline, and the hot air blowing throughout the car made him want to pass out in his seat.

"You didn't clap at the end. Did you not like it?"

"No, I didn't."

There was a brief moment of silence before Kaiba spoke again. "Then I'll uphold my end of the bargain and won't drag you to another."

"It wasn't the opera that was bad..." The actual show of it all was actually kind of cool. Sometimes the singing became a bit repetitive, because Jonouchi didn't know what they were saying, but the grandness of it all was spectacular. It was showy and he enjoyed the costumes and how funny people's faces looked while they tried to belt out their songs. "I didn't like the story. I didn't like how it ended."

"Because it took an innocent death to make the kingdom realize how pointless all the bloodshed was?"

"Because those rich people were assholes..."

Jonouchi could hear restrained laughter next to him. "I think you would like comedic operas better. They're still a bit ridiculous, but you'd probably find them more entertaining."

Humming in response, Jonouchi felt himself cycling back to the edge of sleep. His body felt so heavy, and he'd nearly gone under when he heard Kaiba speaking again.

"Thank you for actually watching the opera. A long time ago, I'd taken this woman I was seeing. She was more interested in being seen beside me than actually paying any attention to the show itself…"

"...You were dating a woman?"

That seemed a bit shocking, for some reason now. Jonouchi couldn't see that happening. His imagination wouldn't allow it. The whole concept of Kaiba actually dating some chick was just strange to him now, although months before, he probably wouldn't have thought much of it.

"Like I said, it was a long time ago. Somewhat experimental. I never really became invested in the relationship, and she wasn't exactly in it for the right reasons, either."

"What made you decide to drop it, then?"

"I came to the realization that women weren't really for me. So why pretend?"

"Oh," asked Jonouchi as he raised an eyebrow, "What made you decide men were, then? Gut feeling or more 'experimenting'?"

"A bit of both," Kaiba answered. "The woman I dated was a beautiful, rising celebrity. By all accounts, I should have been into her more than I felt. So later, when a different opportunity presented itself, I went for it. It felt more right, at least physically."

Jonouchi merely snorted. He wasn't sure how to feel about that. Certainly, he didn't feel that comfortable comparing himself to Kaiba's own personal discovery, so staying silent, he leaned against the car and just allowed himself to zone out. That was much easier to do than start uncomfortable conversations up in his head that he wasn't quite ready to figure out.

"We're almost there," alerted Kaiba, "Don't pass out now - I'm too tired to haul you up."

They were pulling into the bottom level of a parking garage Jonouchi had never seen before. When he thought about it, the drive had seemed much too short to either have reached the Kame Game Shop or Kaiba's own home.

"Where are we?"

"Kaiba Hotel. It's much closer than the mansion, and it's too late to drop you off at Yugi's. We can just stay here tonight - I have a suite in the penthouse."

It didn't matter to Jonouchi. He'd sleep anywhere, including on the floor, when he was tired enough. If anything, he was just thankful that he wouldn't have to show up at Yugi's place late and get twenty questions about it from the old man. Jonouchi was too tired to think of appropriate answers, and wearing a tuxedo after getting out of an expensive looking car would only alarm Sugoroku more than necessary.

"I'm awake," muttered Jonouchi under his breath as he unbuckled his seatbelt, "just lead the way."

Kaiba led them to a side door, flashing a security card against its panel. It turned out to be a private elevator, and Jonouchi was thankful again that he wouldn't have to stumble through an upscale lobby trailing after Kaiba. They rode the elevator up in silence, Jonouchi zoning out again and slouching against the wall. With a slight ping, the doors slid open, and Kaiba strode toward the door at the end of the short hallway. It opened with the same security card, and Jonouchi followed Kaiba blindly.

Flicking on the barest amount of lights, Kaiba kicked off his shoes and shrugged off his coat, throwing it over the back of a chair. He made his way toward the back of the suite, through another door, which turned out to be a large bedroom. Kaiba had paused just past the doorway, tugging off his bowtie, and Jonouchi shouldered past him to throw himself gracelessly across the bed.

He could hear the sliding of fabric as Kaiba extricated himself from his tuxedo. "You can have the bed; I'll sleep on the couch. You should at least get out of that suit, though."

"The couch?" Jonouchi rolled over, kicking off his shoes and taking off the jacket before getting up on his elbows enough to see where Kaiba was going. "This bed is huge. We can share, I won't kick you or some shit."

Besides, they'd done it before. It wouldn't be _that_ weird. Kaiba was a quiet sleeper and Jonouchi was really too tired to make something of it. Besides, it wasn't his place to begin with. He wasn't going to kick the owner out of his own bedroom, and Jonouchi knew Kaiba wouldn't allow him to sleep on the couch instead, so he was going to have to compromise and share.

Kaiba snorted as he opened what was apparently a walk-in closet and entered. "That's probably not true, but thanks for the consideration."

Whatever.

Working on getting his clothes off, Jonouchi tuned Kaiba off as he tried figuring out how to take his ridiculous tie off. Once that was done, he got down to his boxers and undershirt before disappearing into the bathroom.

Thankfully, there was a disposable toothbrush under the sink. Clearly Kaiba didn't hang around the suite very often, because it looked more like a hotel room than an apartment. Everything was very modern and pristine, though, and Jonouchi liked how fresh it felt. It was certainly more welcoming than the Kaiba Mansion, which gave off a weird kind of chill Jonouchi could never shrug off whenever he was over.

The hotel was clearly still very new. Jonouchi could remember when it was being built. The building couldn't have been more than ten years old, and the Kaiba Mansion had to be older than dirt.

Once he was done cleaning up and getting the gel out of his hair, Jonouchi climbed into his side of the bed and hid under the massive pile of blankets before letting out a deep sigh.

He was very tired, but now feeling another presence in the bedroom with him, all that exhaust seemed to wash away and Jonouchi felt high on alert. Why, he wasn't exactly sure, but hearing someone else walking around the room in the darkness did not settle him into falling asleep.

He could hear the sink running, and then there was a brief flash of light as the bathroom door opened before the room was dark again. Beside him, the bed dipped as Kaiba climbed in.

Several minutes went by. All Jonouchi could focus on were Kaiba's soft breaths and the way the comforter rose and fell in tandem with their breathing. He felt suddenly very awake, and he groaned as he shifted onto his side.

"Go to sleep," Kaiba muttered from across the bed.

"Okay, mom," replied Jonouchi under his breath, shifting a little towards the edge before covering his head completely with the comforter. It was super late, yet he felt extremely restless now. Usually Jonouchi could pass out within ten minutes of hitting the bed, but now he felt wide awake and alert to everything happening around him.

It didn't help that he still felt a little shaken up from the opera. His initial upset had passed over, but he still felt irritated about the whole thing. The show was long and the ending was tragic. But the asshole of a Prince still got what he wanted, and that poor girl had to die to protect his stupid name.

Ugh. Why did people like it? Was there something he was missing from the story that was supposed to make him care about it more? He didn't know. Tragedy never appealed to him much, anyways.

Kaiba seemed to have enjoyed the show. Emotionally, he didn't seem affected by any of it at all. He probably just found pleasure watching the ability of the actors and the music, but wasn't really moved by what was happening to the characters and their depressing lives. That was just like him to remain emotionally distant from everything, anyways. Maybe if Jonouchi had adopted the same kind of attitude, he wouldn't have started crying over a stupid fictional character.

Now he did kind of feel tired, though. Closing his eyes, Jonouchi tried allowing his mind to shut down so he could drift off to sleep, but every time Kaiba shifted, his mind snapped on again.

Jonouchi didn't move, though. He didn't want to be snapped at again, so staying on his side as still as he could, he began staring at the wall through the darkness, feeling his injured wrist ache a little as he tried moving his bad hand over his head so it wouldn't kill him in the morning.

The doctors told him lying on his bad side where his ribs were healing would help the process, so Jonouchi didn't move despite discomfort. He wasn't taking any strong pain medications anymore, but that didn't mean his body didn't still feel sore all the time.

There was a sharp intake of breath beside him. "I can't sleep."

"Join the club."

Kaiba rolled over, the bed creaking faintly from the shift in weight. "...Is it your injuries?"

"No, none of it hurts all that much anymore. I don't even have that bad of a bruise on my chest like I did before. It aches sometimes, but I can ignore it."

"Then what's keeping you up? Thoughts of me lying here in my underwear?" Kaiba chuckled low.

Jonouchi didn't answer. He grumbled internally before slumping into the bed more, his foot jerking restlessly as his anxiety began to rise.

The bed trembled lightly from Kaiba's laughter. "C'mon, I'm only teasing you. I'll even admit it - the opposite is true for me…"

Jonouchi felt his face warm up, an odd mixture of embarrassment and pride coming over him. Flattery had always worked on him, and he wasn't sure if he should jump out of the bed to hide or laugh. Or maybe do both things at once.

"Imagine more clothes on me, then."

"Don't want to. Besides, I'll just imagine that tuxedo and have the same problem."

"Kaiba, you are freaking ridiculous. Just turn off your brain and go to sleep, weirdo."

"What if I don't want to? Are you going to do something about it?"

Jonouchi shuddered as he felt fingertips on the base of his spine, trailing up to the nape of his neck. Even through the thin fabric of his shirt, the touch was hot. The fingers lingered there, threading gently through his hair.

"What are you doing...?" It was a silly thing to say, because Jonouchi could _feel _what Kaiba was doing, but having his intentions known would at least take the edge off. Jonouchi liked being touched. He was a tactile person. But that didn't stop his anxiousness. Kaiba generally kept his hands to himself, and this turn of events made Jonouchi's skin prickle as he felt himself become more sensitive to the touches on his scalp.

"Sharing a bed, starting something...you tell me." Kaiba was suddenly very close, and lips had replaced the fingertips.

Jonouchi could feel his heart beating faster. Kaiba could probably feel it too, since he was sliding up really close now and there wasn't that much space between them. The anxiety was suddenly replaced with anticipation, and while Jonouchi's nervousness was still there, he couldn't say he wasn't interested. There was no alcohol to blame his receptiveness on, but the fact that he liked being touched and it had been a while since any 'accidents' had occurred between them.

So Jonouchi didn't try stopping Kaiba as he continued doing whatever it was he wanted to him. All he could think to do was try to keep his breathing under control as his muscles trembled whenever he was touched. His abdomen was particularly sensitive, and he could feel himself shudder involuntarily whenever a fingertip brushed across him. He wished he wasn't so obvious to read, but there was nothing he could do about it.

"I thought you wanted to sleep on the couch to prevent this kind of thing from happening," mumbled Jonouchi under his breath as he started trying to stop himself from breathing too loudly, "and now you're instigating it."

"Then tell me to stop," Kaiba whispered into his ear. He was pressed completely against Jonouchi's backside, arms snaked around him and trailing up and down his abdomen, lower and lower each time.

"I don't really want to," Jonouchi whispered back.

He felt slightly ridiculous admitting that outloud. Situations before, he couldn't get that excited about making out with a girl alone on the couch, but he was a stupid mess with Kaiba touching under the covers. Jonouchi kinda hated himself a little for it, but he was too distracted to continue that line of thought for long. Not when Kaiba's hand was coming dangerously close to passing through the hemline of his boxer briefs.

It was all the permission Kaiba needed. His hand dipped below Jonouchi's underwear, tugging them off. His hands reached up to pull Jonouchi's shirt up, and Jonouchi lifted slightly to assist him. The warmth from his back receded as Jonouchi felt Kaiba shifting behind him, and then it returned, a warm hand reaching down for him.

Jonouchi choked back a cry, biting his lip hard as he felt his body begin to tighten from the pleasure. He hadn't touched himself for weeks, thanks in part to being stuck in a hospital, and then Yugi's bedroom. It didn't feel quite right to play around in his friend's bedroom, and now with Kaiba doing it for him, it felt so many times better than when he did it to himself.

He couldn't understand why. Maybe because Kaiba's technique was different. Everything he did was sexy, with an air of masculine confidence Jonouchi felt intrigued by. When Kaiba wasn't busy being strange, he could be very alluring, and it didn't help feeling his excitement against his backside as Jonouchi felt himself becoming more and more turned on.

It wasn't his plan to have sex when they didn't even know what they were to each other, but Jonouchi hardly cared anymore. Shifting his hips some, he dug his free hand into the sheets of the bed while lifting up his outside leg before Kaiba could finish him. It was embarrassing how into it he was, but closing his eyes, Jonouchi hoped they wouldn't bring up his eagerness afterwards. He didn't want to think about it; he just wanted to enjoy the moment for what it was.

The hands left him. Jonouchi couldn't help but feel a little impatient as he heard the popping of a lid, and then there was a knee between his legs, the hands returning. One hand began kneading into Jonouchi's cheek while he grimaced at the feeling of probbing- he'd been so out of it the first time that he hadn't really noticed how uncomfortable it initially felt, but he focused on his breath until the feeling passed. And then Kaiba was pressing up against him, into him, a hand digging into his hip, the other reaching underneath.

Jonouchi closed his eyes and lost himself in the sensations. Everything felt heightened - Kaiba short breaths, his own racing heart, the friction between their bodies. It quickly became too much, and Jonouchi reached behind to grab at the hand holding his hip as he found release, shuddering as he cried out relief.

Kaiba came soon after, his hips rocking slowly until he finished. Jonouchi could feel Kaiba's labored breath hot against his neck, punctuated by lazy kisses. The hand against his hip trailed up and down him slowly as he felt Kaiba carefully pull away from him.

He kinda wished Kaiba had the sense to wrap himself up, but Jonouchi was too tired to really get upset about it. The feeling was just uncomfortable. Or rather, humbling in a way Jonouchi found himself feeling even more silly about. When he shifted, he felt something run down the side of his ass, and the sensation of it cooling against his skin was unsettling.

"Did you not have any condoms with you?" complained Jonouchi before he grabbed at his hair to try fixing it a little. It was a pointless exercise though, his hair was thoroughly jostled.

"You got me too worked up to think about it," Kaiba replied, running a hand through Jonouchi's hair, playing with it.

"-I barely did anything at all... And you touched my butt."

"I didn't hear any complaints," Kaiba snickered, "I'll do it again if you're not careful."

"Just why did you even do it in the first place," said Jonouchi, although he couldn't even pretend to be serious anymore. The giddiness was taking over and he was trying not to laugh. "I was too distracted to get mad."

"You have a nice ass," Kaiba yawned, "Can't blame me for wanting to touch it."

"Whatever."

They lay still, just breathing together, Kaiba's hand still combing gently through Jonouchi's hair. It had gotten so quiet that Jonouchi thought Kaiba had fallen asleep, but then he heard Kaiba begin to speak softly.

"We're...dating now, right?"

"I guess so," Jonouchi answered back just as quietly, closing his eyes despite still being awake, "isn't that what we decided to do?"

"It just didn't really feel real until now..."

Jonouchi snorted rather loudly, shaking his head before turning it back a little to speak, "So what, it's not real until you get to 'touch' my ass? Duly noted."

Kaiba snorted in return. "That's just one of the benefits. You just seem... anxious around me, sometimes."

"I can't help it."

"Why?"

"I don't know," Jonouchi admitted, "You're really intense sometimes and I never know what I'm going to do to piss you off or get you picking at me, and I can't read you for shit. It's not easy figuring you out like my other friends, and sometimes you intimidate me. I can't help it."

"But tiptoeing around each other won't make this work," Kaiba sighed. "You don't need to figure me out, just - relax a little bit."

"So then... what are the other benefits to this whole dating you thing, because right now you seem to be getting the majority of them," joked Jonouchi as he looked back again, "since I have a nice ass and all."

Kaiba laughed. "What, being around my stellar personality isn't enough?"

"No."

"Well…" Kaiba considered, "You can count on me. Whenever or for whatever you need me. I guess the real question is, what do you want from me?"

"A friend," Jonouchi answered back without delay, "that's what I want."

"Then I'll be your friend." Lips pressed gently against his shoulder. "...I'm tired now."

"Yeah, I wonder why."

Jonouchi felt clammy, almost, but still comfortable. His body ached from the exercise, but it wasn't pain like before when he'd been drunk and they had rushed through it. He felt more aware of himself this time around, and Kaiba hadn't been so clumsy. Well, maybe clumsy wasn't the best word for it (aggressively clumsy, clumsy aggressive?), but Jonouchi wasn't going to waste anymore time trying to figure that one out. It was warm, he felt worn out, and he wanted to sleep.

Closing his eyes, he felt himself begin to drift off. He didn't feel so unsettled about sleeping in a strange room, and with Kaiba's rhythmic breathing playing against his neck, Jonouchi quickly drifted off into a restful sleep.


	22. Chapter 22

It wasn't sickness or pain that woke Jonouchi up this time, when his eyes fluttered open and looked over the unfamiliar room. His body was fine. Unlike the first time, he hadn't drank excessively or felt so dulled out from alcohol to realize that he was pushing himself physically too far. Kaiba hadn't been equally as drunk, rushing through the foreplay during a moment of intense passion and being far too sloppy with his movements. Jonouchi could feel the muscle soreness from being stretched out in a tender place, but it was no different from waking up after an intense workout. He could manage it, after walking it off a little.

Pulling the sheets back, he felt a chill as his bare skin met with the air of the bedroom. It was a little drafty, and finding his boxer briefs near his feet, Jonouchi put them on quickly before jumping out of the bed. Kaiba had been laying next to him, completely out still, and his hand was clutching onto Jonouchi's waist before he pulled away.

Now, turning the other way and grabbing onto a nearby pillow, Kaiba had fallen right back to sleep, if he had woken up at all. His eyes didn't open, and moving the blankets back as not to disturb him, Jonouchi tip-toed towards what he assumed was the master bathroom.

He needed to take a shower, badly. Jonouchi felt grimy, among other things, and immediately jumping into hot water, he scrubbed himself hard all over before washing out his hair and face. The hot water felt great on his skin, and brushing the wash cloth past his backside, Jonouchi couldn't help but feel a little giddy and embarrassed about the night before.

Looking down at his hips, he noticed that his skin was slightly bruised where Kaiba had been holding onto him, which was fine. Bruises happened, and Jonouchi was okay with that. He still had a huge one on his chest, although it was more like a ghost mark now than an ugly mess of purple and yellow.

However, how and where Kaiba finished was not a moment Jonouchi was proud of.

It was gross. There was no getting past that thought. Jonouchi felt a little emasculated by it, but there was nothing to be done about it now. He'd said he didn't like it, so hopefully Kaiba would use his brain next time long enough to use a condom, if he ever hoped to get so lucky again.

It wasn't even anything more than just cells, sugar, and water, but all logical sense went out the window when he felt it hit inside of him, and knowing his body had dissolved it all in his sleep did not make Jonouchi's uneasiness any better.

If anything, it made him feel even more grossed out about the whole thing. Maybe girls were okay with that, but he certainly wasn't.

He decided not to think about it anymore. Getting out of the shower, Jonouchi wiped himself down before going back into the bedroom and quickly getting dressed. Kaiba was still out of it, laying on his side and clutching onto his pillow tightly as if his life depended on it.

Snickering, Jonouchi almost felt tempted to take a picture, but he also wanted to live to his next birthday, so he let the opportunity for amusement go.

Besides, he still had so many things to get done.

He waited in the hotel lobby. It was almost nearly empty, save a few people drinking coffee in the cafe. No one paid him any attention, and once Isono arrived with the limousine, Jonouchi jumped in and felt secure once more, hidden from the rest of the world by tinted glass windows.

"Where to, sir?"

It took him a second to realize he was the sir.

"Err, the Kame Game Shop. I need to get dressed quickly and pack a bag, and then I need a ride to Kaiba Corporation."

He'd be meeting his entourage there. They (Isa and Nakahara) would be handling him, so to speak, while Jonouchi was in Tokyo. Nakahara had the majority of the responsibility; booking their hotel rooms, signing Jonouchi up, buying train tickets to Tokyo, taking care of food restaurant arrangements, etc etc while Isa was to keep Jonouchi camera-ready at all times during competition.

Jonouchi had only one job; win the tournament.

It was a major one. Yamazaki would be there, with Mai, watching. He didn't want to embarrass himself, and the Duel Network would be showing the entire competition. There was a giant ten million yen first place cash prize, and the competitors would be all professional bracket players who had played high stake duels before.

"Don't let those hot shots get into your head," advised Sugoroku, "You are better than all of them and you've come so far. But you get hot headed and over-confident. Play smart, and don't let that mouth run off with you."

"Of course, Oji-san," said Jonouchi as he bowed before Sugoroku smacked him upside the head, "Ow, what the hell was that for?"

"You were supposed to come over last night to practice and you forgot!"

Jonouchi felt like his eyes were about to explode out of his head. He had forgotten. Rubbing the back of his head, he looked away shyly before glancing back at Sugoroku apologetically, "I'm sorry, I got caught up. It won't happen again. But in my defense, I've been practicing hard all day and night, and I'm ready to just duel already."

"You better win, then."

He nodded before running up to Yugi's bedroom. His clothes were scattered inside his best friend's drawers, and shoving all his clothes into a suitcase, Jonouchi didn't even know what all he was taking with. The only thing he knew he had in there was his lucky shirt from Battle City. Isa-chan wanted him to bring it, but everything else, he hadn't a clue what it was.

Changing his clothes, he got on his old kicks, as well. They'd gotten him far, and he'd need all the positive energy he could get while in Tokyo.

The competition was stiff. There weren't that many entries, but everyone competing was well-practiced and had won at least at Regional level. Jonouchi had felt overwhelmed at first, going up against so many people not only from Japan, but also from all around Asia, until he caught a thumbs up and smile from Mai in the stands.

People were counting on him. He was counting on himself. If he hoped to come home with any kind of self-respect for himself, Jonouchi would have to win.

Every duel was tough. Not one had been easy, and Jonouchi felt himself straining to keep up as the day progressed. Each hour brought along another new competitor along with it, and going without break, Jonouchi continued to beat every player stacked against him until he reached the very last finalist.

Ryota Kajiki, the water duelist from Duelist Kingdom and Battle City. The last person on earth Jonouchi expected to be up against, but Sugoroku had trained him against this sort of thing.

"_He's not your friend while you are in battle_," Jonouchi played back in his head, "_he's not your friend until his life points drop down to zero and you have been declared the victor._"

Even Yugi would have had to agree with that.

So, Jonouchi didn't hold back. Despite Kajiki knowing Jonouchi's deck well from two duels previous, he was able to keep him on the ropes and dominated the entire duel, defeating all his trump cards before delivering a final blow with his Red-Eyes Black Dragon.

Jonouchi didn't catch his breath until Kajiki's life points had dropped to zero. Miraculously, he still had seven hundred himself. It was a close game, but not too close.

He didn't remember much after winning, though. Someone had grabbed him and wouldn't let him go, and then someone else had collided into him, jostling him around stage until the arms finally let ago and someone shoved a giant gold trophy in his arms. It was only after blinking several times did he realize it was Mai and Yamazaki, who were both smiling for the pictures, and then Nakahara and Isa-chan had appeared by his side too, holding the check for the first place prize money Jonouchi had been playing for.

It was a lot of money. Jonouchi knew he wouldn't be seeing all of it, but the majority of it would be his. It would finalize his sponsorship with Kaiba Corporation, since he won a duel with a larger cash prize than his yearly pay check, and that in itself was a relief. He didn't feel like the job was handed out to him just because Kaiba liked him now.

It felt earned.

The events had happened later that night, Jonouchi couldn't quite recall. The night after was the same, too. He had gone back to Domino, thanks in part to Mai's direction, making sure he actually got up in time to catch his bullet train back home and after Isa-chan nursed him with bottles of water and coffee the entire ride over, Jonouchi crashed at Honda's place.

Which only led to more victory drinking. Although Jonouchi wouldn't be able to remember, he spent a great deal of money on food and booze, and the two made a wild night of it together, going all over town before finally passing out at Honda's place. Jonouchi woke up on the couch, covered in dirty magazines and beer bottles with some dog licking his face before he realized it was Honda's annoying pet Kishu Inu, who Jonouchi now smelled a lot like.

"Did you let that giant fur ball sleep on me again?" groaned Jonouchi as he got up on his elbows, "she's so annoying. Keep her away."

"She prefers being around the company of her own kind," joked Honda.

Jonouchi just gave him a death glare before getting up, the dog skirting across the floor in a happy sort of jump before it reached down on its forefeet, butt in the air as if ready to pounce. It was white and fluffy, nothing like the old mangy Akita Honda used to have as a high schooler.

"You got that thing for your girlfriend, didn't you?"

"She likes dogs," Honda laughed, "and I like her, so yeah. You shouldn't hate so much. Sakura loves you, just look at her."

Jonouchi did. The dog just wagged her tail, tongue sticking out of her mouth.

"I got to go. I actually have work this morning."

"Right after a major tournament?"

"Yeah," laughed Jonouchi, "that's how real jobs go, if you actually had one you'd realize that. I'm not taking a break, I got enough time off while fooling around with you."

Grabbing his stuff, Jonouchi shoved it into his backpack before picking it up and tossing it over his left shoulder. Despite some aches from dueling with the brace on, he felt so much better. His ribs were almost entirely healed and although the doctor recommended physical therapy, Jonouchi felt as good as new.

"I got some junk mail for you, too," said Honda as he tossed a bunch of mail over towards Jonouchi, who caught it mid-air. The letters were in a bundle, held by a tight rubber band. "Sugoroku had been keeping them, and he meant to give them to you, but you know how bad his memory can be."

"Yeah, no problem. I'm sure he forgot because I'm not always around, anyways."

It would have to wait. He was due at Kaiba Corporation that morning, and he didn't want to hear shit from his manager for not showing up early enough.

After taking a shower and changing into a new set of clothes, Jonouchi showed up at work. Thankfully, he wasn't missed, and taking a seat at his not-office, he closed the door and sat down before pulling out the mess of letters from his bag.

Most of it was from Yugi. Happy messages and well wishes, with postcards from Cairo and all sorts of random pictures Yugi had taken while visiting with Ishizu. Thankfully he was tactful enough to know that Jonouchi did not really like Marik, so there were no pictures of him, but Yugi had sent him a new duel monster card. It wasn't very strong, but the sentiment behind it was nice.

Then came bills, already paid, and one ominous letter from his mother.

That couldn't be good. How his mother found out about his staying at the Kame Game Shop, Jonouchi didn't really want to know. Shizuka had probably spilled it, being the naive fool that she was. Groaning internally, Jonouchi wished she could keep his secrets better, but she thought too much of the good in people, even among those who had none.

He wouldn't open it until later. There was no way on earth he was going to deal with her new load of crap when he was having such a good turn in his life.

Jonouchi had just reached for his cell phone to check his schedule for the day when his office door abruptly opened. Kaiba, a thick stack of papers in hand, had shock written all over his face. He stood there in the doorway, door knob still in his grip, before he seemed to come to his senses and enter, closing the door behind him.

"I'm honestly surprised to see you here," he said, his voice and expression leveling out to neutral.

Perplexed, Jonouchi squinted at Kaiba, tapping the bottom of his phone against the desk. "Um, I was just going to check my schedule, but am I not supposed to be?" It _was_ one of his work days, right? The past few days after the tournament had bled together, but Jonouchi had been certain today was one of the days he was required to report in.

Jonouchi could feel Kaiba's mood darken from across the room. The skin on his arms began to prickle.

"I'm not talking about your _schedule_, Jonouchi. What the hell gives? You disappear for days without a single word; you don't even bother to wake me up to tell me where the hell you're going." Kaiba's jaw was tight, and Jonouchi almost comically expected Kaiba to pop a vein from the strain.

"I had that competition. It was on your schedule..."

"But you couldn't even bother to wake me to tell me you're _leaving_?"

It hadn't even occurred to Jonouchi to do that. Quite frankly, he woke up slightly embarrassed and a little grossed out, and the last thing he wanted to do was add Kaiba's commentary to the mix while trying to get himself situated.

"I thought you were a manly man, Kaiba," snorted Jonouchi as he found himself wavering between fright and amusement, "I didn't think you'd care."

Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "Give me a fucking break, Jonouchi, we're supposed to be _dating_," he hissed low through his teeth. "Do you even know what it felt like to wake up in an empty room? What was I supposed to think, when you didn't even bother to leave or send a message."

"That I was running really late, like I usually do?"

"That's beside the point," Kaiba groaned, snapping the documents against his leg. "What about after? Or that you'd even gotten back into town?"

"I've been drunk off my ass for the last two days," whined Jonouchi as he sighed loudly and rolled his eyes dramatically, collapsing on the desk with his head between his arms, "I didn't even know up from down until this very morning, after Honda's dog woke me up. Give me a break.

"If it's any consolation, I won that duel _for your company,_ and I did have a good time, at the opera. And after. Okay?"

Striding over to Jonouchi's desk, Kaiba dropped the stack of papers onto it. "Admitting your poor decisions isn't an excuse for bad behavior. And while I appreciate your efforts, it is also your _job_ to perform at a certain level." He sighed, running a hand down his face. "Just...don't run off again like that," he finished quietly.

"Fine." Jonouchi dropped his eyes, feeling a tinge of guilt before pointing at Kaiba directly, "But just so you know, you're like impossible to please."

He snatched the first paper off the pile, not even really knowing what he was looking at. Jonouchi needed a distraction. This whole new development was too weird for him, and still hung over, he wasn't ready to deal with strange emotions first thing in the morning. Not after drinking half a bottle of sake and a bunch of cheap beer.

"Not impossible. I have expectations. Very few people live up to them." Kaiba shifted his weight on his heels, crossing his arms. "I was going to leave that on your desk for us to discuss later. It's the analysis from the tournament. We can go over it tomorrow."

"Wait, do you mean you and I personally have to go through all this-," Jonouchi stopped himself from saying crap before the word could come stumbling out of his mouth, "-stuff together?"

Raising an eyebrow, Kaiba replied, "Is there a problem?"

"No."

Yes. But he certainly wasn't going to say anything while Kaiba was in a mood.

Kaiba inclined his head, staring down at Jonouchi bent over the dense report. Jonouchi could practically _feel_ Kaiba's eyes bearing down through his skull. "I hope...you're smart enough to know not to use headquarters as a personal address…" he began.

"What the hell are you even talking about?"

Peering up, Jonouchi narrowed his eyes at Kaiba, his patience wearing thin again, "First off, remember when I told you before that you can be too intense? Well, you're doing just that right now. Second off, stop picking at me. You act as if I haven't done shit for you, and I just won a buttload of money two days ago in a competition all by _myself, _which you haven't bothered to congratulate me over yet, and third off, I've never used this office as a personal address, so I don't even know where you're getting that from..."

A crease was forming between Kaiba's eyebrows. Ignoring most of Jonouchi's comments, he said, "Never mind. Those letters just didn't seem like ones the company regularly gets…" His gaze flickered across the desk. How Kaiba had even noticed the small bundle, Jonouchi didn't know - they'd mostly been turned over or stuck under his elbow. Sometimes, Kaiba was too observant for his own good.

"I thought I recognized one of the names."

Make that _supremely_ observant for his own good.

"Why are you even looking through my stuff in the first place?"

"I haven't laid a finger upon it - it's in plain view," Kaiba pointed out.

Feeling his face twitch, Jonouchi shoved everything quickly into his backpack, not wanting Kaiba to look into his stuff anymore than he had before. "Well, it's not anymore," Jonouchi answered back rather spitefully, "so was there anything else you wanted to do to me, besides give me the third degree?"

"Why is your mother writing to you?" The question had been stated so matter-of-factly that Jonouchi couldn't discern a motive behind it. It hadn't even really been accusatory, but he knew there was weight behind the words.

"That's not something I really feel like talking about right now, Kaiba. The last thing I want to discuss while fighting a hangover is the situation with my mother..."

He'd need to be sober, with at least a case of Kirin between him and his dignity to talk about that. Kaiba didn't need to know. It was all so humiliating, and Jonouchi wanted to spare himself. Only Honda knew about it, and not because Jonouchi had wanted him to know.

Staring at Jonouchi for an extended moment, Kaiba's eyes turned icy. "Oh. I get it. Mother heard about her boy's winnings and has now come forth to demand her share. It's like history repeating itself, only worse."

"And now you're being hurtful. Goodbye, Kaiba. I don't have to listen to you berate me while I was having a good day."

And getting up, Jonouchi staggered out of the room, backpack still in hand, before brushing past Kaiba and heading towards the end of the hallway where the elevators stood. The last person on earth he wanted to talk to his family problems with would be Kaiba.

Mostly because he was so insensitive. He forgot what feeling was like, thinking someone could just shove aside a family member because shit was difficult. Maybe that was easy to say, when someone's parents were both dead already, but Jonouchi couldn't imagine being so cold and he still felt some responsibility for them, especially his father.

Not only that, but he didn't want to start a fight in Kaiba Corporation where people could hear him, and feeling suddenly very emotional, he needed to get out of the room. And quickly.

Hearing brisk footsteps behind him, Jonouchi picked up his pace, but he was surprised when Kaiba called out after him anyway. At least the hallway was empty.

"Jonouchi, would you just listen-"

He was listening, but he wasn't going to respond while any stranger could just appear. Jonouchi shoved past a few salarymen, getting right to the elevator as it opened and slipping inside as he smashed the button for the last floor. Unfortunately, Kaiba had also managed to get in, as well, before he could get crushed by the closing doors.

"I'm not trying to start a fight, but you can't deny the timing."

"You might be right," Jonouchi answered, "but that doesn't mean I want to talk about it. I already said as much before."

Kaiba backed up to the opposite side of the elevator car, leaning against its wall. He looked out through the large glass wall adjacent to him, watching as Domino City grew larger with their descent. "So your family is permanently off-limits, then? I have to act like they don't exist, like they don't affect you?"

Jonouchi rolled his eyes. Did Kaiba hear a word he said at all? "I said I was hungover and didn't feel like discussing my mother. That doesn't mean I'll _never _talk to you about her at all. And when you get like that, guilt tripping me, you don't make me want to talk to you about my family, so just stop it already."

"You never seem to want to talk about them sober, either, so you can't call me out for guilt-tripping when I'm just voicing the truth."

"That's because I'm not ready to talk to you about that yet. Not everything in my life is your business, Kaiba. I respect your privacy, so you could learn to respect mine."

Kaiba continued to stare through the glass. They had almost reached ground-level. "...Fine," he said, finally turning to face Jonouchi again.

Now the ride down was just awkward and slightly painful. Looking over at Kaiba, Jonouchi caught a glance of him before looking away again. He was wearing his usual black leather attire, with the black sweater turtleneck now that it was getting colder. His face looked tense, but he was still handsome as ever, and sighing, Jonouchi finally broke the silence before the doors could open and they'd end up parting still mad at each other.

"You look nice today."

Kaiba's eyebrows raised fractionally, and Jonouchi could have sworn the tips of his ears had turned a faint pink, but maybe it was just a trick of the sunlight. "Flattery will get you nowhere," he muttered, but there was a hint of a smile on his face.

"Flattery gets me everywhere," answered Jonouchi back flirtatiously, bumping his shoulder into Kaiba a little roughly before the doors opened, "including into your bed, so don't act so unaffected by it. I'll see you later."

Watching Kaiba's eyes go wide from scandal almost made Jonouchi burst into laughter, but he managed to contain himself, giving Kaiba a wink for good measure before strolling out of the opening doors. Kaiba had just rolled his eyes in return, but Jonouchi noticed the hint of a smile start to spread into a real one as the doors closed shut again.

It was actually a good thing Kaiba was releasing him early. Or rather work was, since Kaiba wasn't usually who Jonouchi directly dealt with. Shizuka had messaged him, wanting to meet for lunch. He didn't have the heart to tell her no. And with the bonus from his win, Jonouchi wanted to treat her for all the times she'd bought him food because he couldn't afford his next meal.

Four million yen. It was more money than Jonouchi could ever remember having in his life, especially all at one time.

Of course, Shizuka wanted to meet at some girly cafe. She had turned into one of those trendy girls who wore soft wool peacoats with tights and leather pumps despite the cooling temperatures. Jonouchi wanted to ask if it was because of a boy, but he knew it was probably because all the other girls dressed like that. Cold weather be damned, looking cute was more important.

At least she didn't dye her hair or something silly like that. Taking a seat at the table, he smiled as Shizuka looked over the small menu, ordering a cappuccino and cake for herself while Jonouchi just asked for a glass of water.

"Onii-san, at least get some tea," she chided, "It's good for you and you never treat yourself."

"Don't worry about me. I'm taking you out this time, so you can get that fancy shit you like drinking so much."

"I like coffee," she giggled, "I wouldn't get through school without it... Okaa-san and I watched your Duel on television. She knows about the prize money."

"Is that why I got that letter from her?" laughed Jonouchi as his face tensed up. Of course Kaiba was right. Kaiba was always right. "How much does she want this time?"

"Onii-san, don't give her the money! She doesn't need it!"

Jonouchi sighed, rolling his eyes and biting his lip before exhaling out of his nose loudly. "Why not? It's going to go to you, anyways. You're in school."

"She doesn't need alimony money from Otou-san anymore. She remarried... Just a few months ago. I didn't tell you, because I didn't think you'd want to know. But if she's sending you those stupid letters still, you need to know. We're fine. Her husband-"

"Our stepfather..." mumbled Jonouchi darkly.

"-makes good money. She doesn't even have to work anymore. You don't have to give her anything, and it wasn't your job to before, anyways. That was Otou-san's responsibility."

"He never took care of it."

"That doesn't make it your job, Onii-san."

Jonouchi shrugged. Shizuka was a girl. She'd never understand.

"I'll talk to dad about it, how about that?" offered Jonouchi. He'd probably seen the news by now somewhere and would be begging for money as soon as Jonouchi arrived home. The old man was consistent like that; he knew all of Jonouchi's pay days from the garage and used to steal Jonouchi's money from under the mattress while he worked.

"You know what he's going to do," bemoaned Shizuka as she shook her head. A waitress appeared, serving their drinks and cake before bowing and walking away. Shizuka cut into her cake, her eyes appearing sad despite the smile on her face.

"He doesn't need that much money, Shizuka. And I'm sure our crazy mother isn't asking for too much, either. I'm making good money now," he reasoned, "and I'm going to take care of us. Don't worry about me, I can handle them both and I'll have another competition soon enough to get more cash from, alright?"

"I know you can do it, Onii-san, but that doesn't mean you should."

They spoke for some time. Jonouchi changed the conversation to happy things, laughing loudly once more as his sister giggled and people in the cafe stared. He didn't care, though. Jonouchi hardly ever saw her, and being alone together without anyone interfering on their time meant so much to him.

No drunkard father. No crazy mother.

Deciding to take care of business, Jonouchi took the subway home, riding the bus over to the old neighborhood before running through the streets to reach his crummy apartment. He wasn't going to risk getting beat down again, and only until he was through the door of his foyer did Jonouchi stop to take a rest and realize what had happened.

At first, he thought someone had broken in. The crappy television was missing. All the food that was on the counters was gone, and the door to his father's bedroom was wide open, no bed in sight. Walking in carefully, he found the entire room empty, save a few dirty magazines strewn across the floor.

But his own bedroom was the same. Nothing was missing. Looking around, he even saw that his busted lamp had been replaced, as well as an attempt to fix the crack down his door.

When he looked into the kitchen drawers, he found a wad of cash, but nothing else.

Then it occurred to him.

The yakuza were looking for his father. Everything that belonged to him was missing. There was money to cover for the missing food, and his stuff had been "repaired." No one had broken into the room.

His father was gone.

* * *

Still censoring my dirty bits hehe. I just got done through 22 chapters today. I will either finish tonight or have it done tomorrow. Again, the uncut version is available via Adult Fanfiction.

~AW


	23. Chapter 23

Kaiba had just finished checking his morning emails when he noticed the time. It was a little after ten in the morning, and Jonouchi was bound to be somewhere within headquarters. Deciding to try his office first, but not really expecting him there (for whatever reason, Jonouchi preferred to avoid staying in it as long as possible, although Kaiba couldn't fathom the reason why), Kaiba made his way over, stopping to get two cups of coffee.

The door was slightly ajar, and bumping it open with his hip, Kaiba peered inside. "This is the second day in a row that you're actually at your desk. Perhaps the world is ending," he teased lightly, setting the extra cup in front of Jonouchi and pulling up a seat.

"Maybe it is," sighed Jonouchi before he glanced at the cup of coffee with disinterest.

He seemed...out of it. Like something else was occupying his mind. "I thought we could go over the report I left for you yesterday."

"That's the main reason why I'm here," replied Jonouchi as he took his cup and swirled it around, "I thought you'd want to do that sooner than later."

"So let me ask you first, how do you think you did?"

Jonouchi's face scrunched up, his discomfort obvious. "That's a loaded question... I did better than I thought I would. I didn't think I'd end up on top, honestly, with that kind of competition, but I'm definitely not going to complain about it. It just means having to bust my ass to defend myself next time I duel, which is always harder than getting the title the first time..."

"You're correct about that last part," Kaiba said, pleased that Jonouchi had come to the realization by himself. "You had a few bad plays and moments of missed opportunities, but on the whole, you played well. The marketing analysis was also good. About midway through the tournament, your name started trending on the internet, and that trend continued until hours after the tournament ended. So as you can imagine, the marketing department is very happy with you right now."

"Awesome."

Jonouchi didn't sound that happy from the sound of his voice. His reply was flat, and his eyes were everywhere but Kaiba's face. Unlike times before, it didn't appear like he was too anxious or nervous to look Kaiba in the eyes, but just disinterested in what they were talking about.

Kaiba leaned back in his seat. He wondered how long he could remain quiet without Jonouchi realizing. It was obvious that while the other was physically at work, his mind hadn't made the same trip that morning. "Jonouchi."

"Yeah?" It was a delayed response.

Jonouchi's coffee cup was still untouched. "Is this a bad time?"

"A bad time? No. I'm listening. Marketing is happy with me, which means you might be happy with me, right?"

"That is also correct, but I require your full attention. You seem preoccupied." There was no point going over the data if Jonouchi was only half-listening.

"You have my full attention," Jonouchi replied back, forcing himself to sit up more as he tried sipping his coffee. He made a face. His eyes darted away as he apparently forced himself to drink the liquid, even though they could both tell that he didn't care for it.

Kaiba stared at Jonouchi for a long moment before sighing heavily. "Forget it. We can do this another time. Take the rest of the day off, and...whatever's on your mind - just take care of it." He stood, tapping the report back into a neat stack and retrieving his coffee cup.

"Yeah sure, 'just take care of it', thanks for the amazing advice. As always."

Jonouchi didn't move from his seat, though. He didn't seem like he was going to get up even after Kaiba did, and instead of running off like he usually did, Jonouchi just twirled around in his chair, appearing preoccupied again and clearly ignoring Kaiba's lingering presence.

"I'll be in my office," Kaiba muttered as he left, not bothering to close the door after himself. Jonouchi always complained that Kaiba was the impossible one, but Kaiba was beginning to think differently. Just the day before, Jonouchi almost begged for privacy, and now he was acting as though he'd actually care to hear Kaiba's advice.

Well, whatever.

He wasn't going to get involved. Whatever afflictions that were swimming around in Jonouchi's head, Jonouchi could take care of them himself. He didn't need to get his head bit off practically first thing in the morning, especially not by his...boyfriend.

It was still a strange thought. Their relationship seemed to ebb and rise, never reaching constancy. They were intimate when they were _intimate_, but most of the rest of the time, there was this great disconnect between them. And it didn't help any that Jonouchi was an unpredictable variable, his moods as wild as his brash personality.

He didn't hear from Jonouchi for the rest of the day, and Kaiba ended up whittling the hours away holed up behind his desk, crunching numbers for the projected end-of-quarter report. His CFO was on maternity leave, and with a Board meeting at the beginning of the next month, the report had to get done one way or another. Kaiba didn't trust many people, especially not with his financials, and so inevitably it was up to him to fill the gap.

The day had stretched into another long night at the office. Pushing back from his desk for the first time in hours, Kaiba stretched his stiff muscles, turning in his seat to stare out upon Domino City's skyline. It was already pitch-black outside, but the city itself seemed to sparkle against the sky's relief.

What was he going to do about Jonouchi? Or rather, what _could_ he do?

Jonouchi wasn't like the others. Granted, Kaiba conceded that he'd never really _dated_ any of the people he'd been with before Jonouchi. Aside from the actress, and a man he'd seen somewhat regularly during trips to America, all the others probably counted more as hook-ups. Nothing had ever really been long-term - most had been just one-night-stands.

So what really did he know about dating someone? And why was he so insistent upon that someone being Jonouchi?

Jonouchi was attractive, that was a given. But all the others had been good-looking as well, so what was different?

It wasn't like their relationship was easy, even before they had entered into an official one. It was an unending source of stress, really, but now that he was in it, Kaiba didn't want to let it go. Something about Jonouchi kept him holding on.

They had a history. It hadn't always been a positive one, but Jonouchi knew him in ways that others didn't, and he still stuck around. Had tried to befriend him first, and even long after. When they weren't arguing, they had an amiable companionship. Kaiba _did_ enjoy Jonouchi's company when the other wasn't being infuriating, and the feeling appeared to be mutual. Jonouchi was deceptively complex, enough to sustain Kaiba's interest.

When they were physical, the sex was amazing. It was completely unlike all of Kaiba's other experiences. It was intense, and at times, hard for Kaiba to control himself. He could feel himself reduced down to pure desire - it was utterly terrifying and exhilarating at once.

Kaiba knew how he felt about Jonouchi. Once the epiphany had dawned on him, there had been no point lying to himself. It still didn't really explain _why_ he felt the way he did, but it was a truth he had to accept.

But how did Jonouchi feel about _him_? He had been the one to insist that they become an item when Kaiba had been prepared to cast it all aside. Had really been the one who had gotten them into this entire mess, back when Jonouchi had kissed him on a dare.

When Jonouchi had defeated him.

It wasn't a situation Kaiba could solve by applying logic or reason. Jonouchi ran so hot and cold that Kaiba couldn't really tell which direction they were heading. They weren't exactly regressing, but they weren't progressing, either. And Kaiba was _trying_, but Jonouchi more often than not failed to meet him even halfway.

Rubbing his hands over his face, Kaiba decided that he'd had enough work for the day. Enough depressing thoughts. Locking down his computer, he gathered his briefcase and turned off the lights, the emptiness of the dark city shining around him swallowing him up.

The following day hadn't brought any changes. There was still something off about Jonouchi - he'd arrived at work early, idling hours by sitting behind his desk. It didn't appear as though he was doing much of anything, either. He'd occasionally flip through his deck, page through various reports while not really reading them, or stare vacantly at his computer screen.

Kaiba had allowed it. There wasn't much work for Jonouchi to do post-tournament, anyway. While it was in the corporation's best interest to use the momentum from his recent win to their advantage, it wouldn't do any good if Kaiba put Jonouchi out in the field or in front of a camera when he was going through some kind of crisis.

Pushing his way through the door after a cursory knock, Kaiba leaned against the doorframe. Jonouchi was rocking slowly in his seat, absently twirling a pen. "Are you busy?" he asked, even though the answer was evident.

"Not really," answered Jonouchi, who looked up quickly before dropping his head again. His brown eyes focused on the pen as he continued to flick it around the desk, but it was apparent that he wasn't doing anything more than wasting time.

"Good," Kaiba said, "Let's go to lunch. Maybe food will help you to focus on that report we still need to review."

Looking up, Jonouchi seemed a little stunned at the suggestion, but he didn't reject the offer.

"And by lets, you mean you're buying, right?" he asked before getting up from his seat, "That would be the gentlemanly thing to do."

"I was secretly thinking of sticking you with the bill, but now you've thwarted my plans," Kaiba replied with a laugh. Of course, even after taking home a 4 million yen cut, Jonouchi still had a poor-man's mentality.

"Yeah, whatever," snorted Jonouchi as he pushed his seat back. The promise of food seemed to awaken Jonouchi from his little spell; he walked quickly out of the office without much prompting and was rather chatty during the car ride downtown. It was a nice change, and Kaiba found himself surprised to actually be enjoying Jonouchi's pointless rambling after two days of relative quiet. When Jonouchi was quiet, things were not good with him. That much was certain now, and Kaiba didn't think he'd complain about Jonouchi's chattiness after dealing with him forlorn and practically shut down. It was unsettling.

Jonouchi's talkativeness continued even after they arrived at the small cafe, and they had even managed to work through the major points of the report without much difficulty. It was almost alarming how quickly and completely Jonouchi's demeanor had shifted. Kaiba knew Jonouchi couldn't have gotten over whatever was bothering him in the short time between leaving for lunch and finishing up their debriefing.

"Will you come watch my next competition, then?"

"Of course. If you wake me up for it, next time," Kaiba teased. He gave Jonouchi's foot a nudge with his own under the table for good measure.

"Who says we'll be doing _that _again the night before, hmm?" asked Jonouchi as he laughed and moved closer to look Kaiba in the eyes straight on without flinching, "Although I did win the next day, so maybe that's like the lucky thing to do for me.

"Or it was my lucky tennis shoes. Whichever."

"Then let's not defy superstitions and just make both a tradition," Kaiba leaned in flirtatiously. He didn't care that they were out in public. Only two other customers were in the cafe, and Kaiba had picked it specifically based on its quiet atmosphere.

"I thought somebody like you wouldn't even believe in that crap."

Jonouchi was making quick work of the plate of spaghetti he had in front of him. Kaiba could smell the tomato and pepper sauce that seemed to linger as Jonouchi used a fork and tried to eat properly before slurping the noodles in his mouth. Thankfully, he didn't get sauce everywhere, not that the idiot would even care.

Apparently he had to eat everything like it was ramen.

Taking a bite, Kaiba finished off half of his egg sandwich. At the rate Jonouchi was eating, he'd be long done before Kaiba even began working on the second half. "I don't, really. But I know that you do. And if it works to my advantage, I'll take it."

"You know I've been wearing the same shoes while dueling since high school, right?" pointed out Jonouchi.

"Yes," Kaiba confirmed, rolling his eyes a little, "I'm surprised those old things are still holding together."

"Glue," Jonouchi smiled.

"Then they must be more glue than leather or fabric by now," Kaiba laughed. It was kind of sad, though, too. Kaiba knew Jonouchi's family didn't make a lot of money, but keeping (and regularly wearing) the same pair of shoes for over five years, even if he was attached to them, was unfathomable.

"Besides, I almost killed myself getting these, so I'm never going to give them up until the day they completely fall apart," announced Jonouchi, "Yugi was there, when I got them. There's a knife cut in the one from the stupid game I had to play to win them from the store owner. They are as much a part of me as my stupid looking hair."

Kaiba snorted. "Of course there was a game, if Yugi was involved. I don't even want to know what kind of shop you were frequenting to get those…"

"No, you really don't." Taking another fork-full of noodles, Jonouchi shoved it into his mouth before (barely) chewing it and swallowing, "But they were worth the risk."

"If you say so," Kaiba said around another bite. "Although I'd suggest leaving those days behind you and just outright purchasing the next pair of shoes you want. No more silly, dangerous games."

"But then I won't have an interesting story to tell," sighed Jonouchi. He glanced back down at his plate, moving the food around in piles before taking another bite. "That's all right, though. I'll probably need a new pair next year, because the treads on these ones are entirely gone and the soles are so worn out. Besides, now that I have money, I can try collecting real Nike's again.

"Why did you retire from dueling?"

"Your apartment will become a magnet for theft, then." Taking a sip of his tea, Kaiba considered the question as the warmth of the drink traveled down his body. "It's more of a hiatus, really. I don't really plan on returning anytime soon. Mokuba will be starting college, so his duties at the company will shift, as will mine, until he graduates. I don't have the time to focus on competition.

"Besides, Yugi's not here anymore. Even _he's _taken a break from dueling, and he's the one I have to beat."

Jonouchi rolled his eyes dramatically, leaning back against his chair and folding his arms against his chest before speaking, "I knew you'd say some crap like that. Yugi's not the only good duelist out there, Kaiba, and maybe if you didn't just wait for him to come back, you'd realize that. He's certainly not the only person ever to beat you, and if you sit around too long, I might end up taking your spot as number two. How about that?

"Besides, aren't you interested at all in dueling against me again?"

"He was the first," Kaiba replied seriously, "I've never regained my title." He brought his cup closer, enjoying how it warmed his hands. "I would like to duel you again someday, but I'd rather have you focus on your own career right now."

"Fine, Kaiba."

Jonouchi wasn't pushing the subject. That was a relief.

They fell into a comfortable silence, both staring out the window. The sky was a pale gray - almost white - a sure threat of snow.

"You seem...better. Is everything okay now?" Kaiba ventured, breaking the silence.

"Not really," answered Jonouchi in a somber voice, "my dad is missing. All his stuff is gone. I have no idea where he went."

Well, that definitely explained Jonouchi's spacey behavior over the past couple of days. If it were him, Kaiba would have been elated that his problem had solved itself. Good riddance, as far as he was concerned. "When did you find out?"

"When I got back from Honda's place, after winning the competition. It didn't help that my mother was pestering me again over shit, but I don't really care too much about her. I don't understand why my dad would just up and leave on me like that without saying anything at all. I know he had some real bad shit going on, but still. He'd never done that before."

"Did you ask any of your neighbors? Maybe one of them saw or heard something."

"I don't talk to my weird ass neighbors," answered Jonouchi.

"It sounds like he doesn't _want_ to be found," Kaiba sighed. "He's an adult, anyway, and so are you, so he's free to do whatever he wants. It's not like he contributed a lot to your household; if anything, he was a burden on you. If he didn't even bother to inform you of his plans or at the very least leave a note, then just let it go."

"I can't."

And grumbling, Jonouchi's eyes downcast before he started picking at the remainder of his food. His eyebrows were cross and his mouth was tight, the signs of irritation screaming across his features. He could turn from happy to childishly annoyed in seconds, and Kaiba found himself conflicted between laughing at Jonouchi's ridiculous facial expressions and being mad that once again, they were arguing over Jonouchi's crappy family that seemed keen on leaving him all the time.

"Why not? Your father up and left. There's no point in holding onto a connection that's no longer there." Kaiba couldn't understand Jonouchi's attachment to the man. Blood wasn't everything. Jonouchi's father had gifted him with more problems than opportunities, some leaving visible remnants upon Jonouchi's body. Kaiba had seen them all - the bandages Jonouchi had come to school wearing, the faint and raised lines marking his skin, the fresh and angry bruises across his face.

"I don't like the idea of him half dead in some sewer," complained Jonouchi as he slumped farther in his seat, looking wholly uncomfortable, "And I have the money now, so I could help him. He's not that terrible. When he's not drinking, he's like normal again, but he won't go to rehab while he's dealing with all this debt... I have the money to pay it off now. I could figure this all out if I could find him."

Kaiba frowned as Jonouchi continued to spiral down into a depressed pit. "His debts aren't your responsibility, Jonouchi. You don't need to keep making excuses for him anymore. It doesn't sound like he's ever tried to help himself, so you don't owe him that same courtesy." Kaiba leaned forward, his fist upon the table, "He _beat_ you. There's no excusing that."

"He punched me in the face once, while drunk. It wasn't that big of a deal, and nothing I haven't done to him in one of my bad days before you gave me the light of day, so I don't see why you are making such a big deal of it. If I don't help him, no one will."

His fist clenched tighter, a tumult of frustration coiling up inside. "Parents aren't supposed to strike their children hard enough to leave marks. That's _abuse_. Why do I suspect that the last time wasn't the first?" Kaiba scoffed.

"If you won't help me find out where he went, I'll find someone else who will," said Jonouchi stubbornly, "I don't care if you don't like him. He's my father and nothing you say will change the fact that he's my responsibility.

"I just want to make sure he's all right. If he is, I'll leave him alone."

There was a long, tense moment where a battle of wills clashed invisibly. Kaiba could feel his jaw straining, the muscle beginning to tick as he stared Jonouchi down. Jonouchi, for his part, didn't back down - his face was fierce, like a wild animal protecting its kin.

"I'll make it up to you," promised Jonouchi, "just this one thing, that's all I'm asking for."

Sighing loudly, Kaiba closed his eyes and crossed his legs. He couldn't believe he was going to agree to this. "I'll help you, but you've got to agree to accept whatever answer we discover, even if we don't discover anything."

"Okay."

"You'll have to come over to the Mansion tonight, then, because that's where the computer that can run the searches is located."

"Why do you have a computer at home that can look up that kind of thing?" asked Jonouchi as he raised an eyebrow in question, "You've done this kind of thing before?"

Kaiba shrugged. "Mokuba used to get kidnapped a lot, and the kidnappers didn't usually leave a calling card," he said. "I would have to tap into the Kaiba Corporation satellite to locate him, so instead of conducting my personal business at work, I built a computer that could handle it at home."

"That's insane."

Jonouchi didn't say anything else after that, though. He seemed quiet again, finishing the rest of his lunch and sipping on his drink.

And he was right. The whole thing was insane. Having to basically plant a tracker on Mokuba throughout his childhood to ensure his safety was not normal and Kaiba didn't like doing it, but it was the only way he had to ensure that he knew his brother was safe. It was better to have a plan in action than get caught unawares like he had the first two times.

The rest of the day seemed to eke by, now that Kaiba had made a promise he wasn't thrilled about fulfilling. He'd sent Jonouchi off to beta test a new video game, in the hope that the activity would take his mind off things. Sitting in front of a screen and playing around in a game world was much better than Jonouchi sitting behind his desk, staring mindlessly at nothing. But for Kaiba, the hours after lunch had stretched - he'd expected the opposite to happen, to have had the day pass by in a breeze so that the dreaded task that awaited him would come that much closer. He found that knowing something wholly undesirable was waiting on the horizon for him was actually so much worse than it appearing unexpectedly.

In contrast, the ride back home had gone by in no time. Perhaps it was a by-product of Jonouchi's nervous energy, palpable in the air of Kaiba's tiny sports car. But the usual long drive had passed quickly in relative silence, and Kaiba hadn't tried to make Jonouchi talk again. He was convinced it was a futile effort, anyway - Jonouchi appeared so anxious, like he wanted to jump out of his own skin.

Leading them downstairs to his lab, Kaiba turned on all the lights and then proceeded to power up a large machine at the back of the room. The projector screen flickered to life in front of them, covering almost the entirety of the back wall. Hands flying across a keyboard, Kaiba booted up the gateway that allowed access to the satellite, logged in, and waited.

"How does this computer work," asked Jonouchi, who finally broke the silence as he leaned in against Kaiba's computer chair and crossed his arms over the back close to where Kaiba's head was resting. "It's so big."

"It's big because it needs a lot of memory to talk to the other satellites and process the data quickly enough to convey it in real-time," Kaiba explained. "Okay, when did you discover that your father was gone? I need an exact time."

"When I came back from the tournament," Jonouchi replied, looking down towards Kaiba's head as he sighed heavily, "I haven't seen him since then. Everything was missing."

"What time did you get home?"

"Right after a lunch I had with my sister. It was an hour past noon."

"So over fifty hours ago… There was no sign of a struggle?" Kaiba doubted they were dealing with an abduction case, but to ease Jonouchi's anxiety, he had to be thorough.

"No. The apartment was clean. His stuff was missing and he left money in the kitchen cabinets, since he ate everything. Nothing was missing besides his crappy old tv. I'm sure he went and pawned it for cash..."

A series of windows expanded across the screen, rapidly scrolling through hundreds of images. "Hmpf, how considerate of him," Kaiba grumbled, but his mouth snapped shut at Jonouchi's sudden glare. His fingers continued to dance across the keyboard, pausing when he found a strange bit of activity. "Look here. These are surveillance cameras from the pawn shop across the street from your complex." Hitting the enter key with a flourish, several videos began to play, each from a different angle.

It was a little after four in the morning, two days prior. The streets had been empty and dark, when a taxi had pulled up and waited right in front of Jonouchi's apartment. It sat idling for three minutes, and then a large older man had hobbled up to it. He was balding and wearing a red jersey jacket, hauling a large bag of clothes slung behind his back and a rolled-up futon under his other arm. The driver had come out to assist them, and they managed to shove everything into the trunk before the man went back for two other boxes, a duffel bag, and an old tube television. He looked around skittishly before climbing into the passenger seat - the back seat too crammed with junk, and then the taxi had sped off out of sight.

"That man look familiar?" Kaiba asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah, that's him. With my high school letter jacket, no less. That fucker..."

Jonouchi's voice was a mix of sadness and amusement. Kaiba could have sworn he'd seen that jacket before too, outside of Domino High School, but he couldn't quite recall the occasion.

"So we know he left of his own volition. Now, to see where he went…" The windows were closed and new ones sprang to life, lines of code streaming across the screen. Kaiba's hands were moving rapidly, the computer beside him whirring audibly as it tried to keep up with his commands. Jonouchi's picture appeared on screen, followed quickly by his father's, his mother's, Shizuka's, and another man Kaiba didn't recognize.

"What are you doing?"

The loud clacking increased. "I had to pull up your file in order to pull up your father's. The system just pulled your entire family to ensure an accurate match." A few more keystrokes, and - "There," Kaiba declared victoriously, "It's now searching for anyone matching your father's profile. If he left through any port or boarded any kind of carrier, it'll show up in the results. It doesn't look like your father has any kind of credit card, so unfortunately we can't track him through his financials, and he has no registered cell phone. We'll be out of luck if he left by car, unless he passes through a toll, gases up, or visits any place that has a surveillance system installed. But based on how nervous he looked when he got into that taxi, I doubt he'd take a risk like that. He'd probably want to make the quickest getaway possible, so that means he probably took a flight somewhere."

Jonouchi said nothing, his focus intent on the screen. A flurry of windows opened and closed as the system scanned and cycled through thousands of reports, databases, and hours of video footage. It seemed endless, and six minutes into the search, Kaiba was starting to wonder if Jonouchi's father really had disappeared without a trace. He could feel his seat tipping back as Jonouchi leaned his forearms against the top of it heavily.

And then everything stopped, the computer emitting a sharp beep as activity on the screen ceased. A box announcing "MATCH FOUND" blinked slowly at the top of the screen, underneath it a picture of a boarding pass and receipt. Four small boxes to the bottom corner depicted loops of a man with only a duffel bag entering an airport, waiting at the ticket counter, passing through security, and having his ticket scanned at the gate.

The name, the face, the timeframe, the manner of the man's gait - it was all a match.

"California," Kaiba said. "You father took the first flight out of Narita International Airport the day after you came back from Tokyo."

"Which city?"

"Los Angeles. Do you know why he would go there?"

"That's where he's from," sighed Jonouchi before he got up from leaning on Kaiba's chair and turned around, crossing his arms against his chest, "He's not a Japanese citizen. He's only a quarter, and barely even passes..."

That didn't make any sense. "He isn't a citizen? Then how did he manage to stay in the country so long after your parents divorced? His spouse visa should have expired long ago."

Jonouchi merely shrugged.

"Your father hasn't held a steady job for a while, either, so he wouldn't have had a work visa, either…" Kaiba continued.

"He was into some illegal shit, okay?" admitted Jonouchi loudly before he turned his back again and stared at the other side of the wall. "I didn't ask questions about it because I didn't really even want to know."

That...wasn't surprising, actually. Jonouchi's father had most likely investigated illegal avenues to obtain a visa and ended up falling in deeper thanks to vice.

"Is there anything else you want me to search?"

"No, I guess I know what I needed to know now," answered Jonouchi.

A strange uncomfortable silence fell between them. Jonouchi wasn't speaking anymore. When Kaiba looked behind him, he could see him standing there still holding onto his arms, appearing almost completely withdrawn into himself. That wasn't surprising, but it didn't make Kaiba feel any better about it.

Closing out the search windows and getting up from his seat, Kaiba cautiously walked up to Jonouchi. He reached out to snake an arm behind Jonouchi, pulling him close against his side. "It's...okay to be upset."

"Yeah, I know that. But it doesn't mean I like the feeling. I didn't think he'd just run off like that, but I understand why he did it. Still don't like it..."

Jonouchi's shoulders trembled slightly before he quickly wiped his face, making a noise before finally turning back to look at Kaiba. His face looked so strained, like he was trying really hard not to cry. Eyes rimmed red, Kaiba could see the building up of tears, but he had enough sense not to say something out loud about it.

"Thanks for looking, even though I know you didn't want to," said Jonouchi as he turned heel and headed towards the door, "I'll get over it."

The heartbroken look on Jonouchi's face sent a sharp pang through Kaiba's chest. Following after him, Kaiba quickly caught up, catching one of Jonouchi's hands in his own. "Jonouchi, wait up. I'll...I'll drive you home."

"To that shitty apartment in the ghetto?"

Jonouchi's laugh sounded fake and forced, and Kaiba frowned as he tried wiping his eyes again.

"I don't want to go back there," said Jonouchi, "my lease is almost up, so you'll finally get what you want. I'll find some other place to live now." His shoulders trembled again. "I don't want to go home right now. Can I stay here with you?"

The sharp pang returned, but this time, it wasn't painful. "If that's what you want."

"Yeah, that's what I want."

Then suddenly, Jonouchi crossed the distance between them and grabbed Kaiba into a crushing hug, squeezing the air out of his lungs. It took him completely by surprise; he wasn't sure how to react at first. People didn't typically do this. Only Mokuba had ever hugged him like that, and not since he was a pre-teen. Jonouchi had an iron grip and it didn't feel like he was planning on letting go anytime soon.

The most Kaiba could manage was to bend his elbows and lightly hold onto Jonouchi's waist. They stood there for a long while, Jonouchi shoulders shaking and head buried into Kaiba's chest. Although the circumstances were all wrong, it felt nice.

"Jonouchi. You're going to squeeze the life out of me," Kaiba half-joked, attempting to ease Jonouchi's high-strung emotions.

"You'll live."

Thankfully, Jonouchi did let go though and after forcing a smile on his face, he seemed somewhat better. "I'm tired and hungry. Where do you hide all your food?"

Kaiba hadn't been hungry, but Jonouchi seemed to be nursing his pain with a pint of ice cream after eating leftover pizza Mokuba had left in the refrigerator. A salad had been plenty enough for Kaiba, and he watched Jonouchi eat with mild amusement and mixed horror before they finally made their way together to the master bedroom.

They had held hands the entire walk upstairs. Kaiba was still a little unbelieving that Jonouchi had allowed it, but he'd seemed eager for the contact, staying close by. It wasn't until after they had entered the bedroom and Kaiba closed the door that their hands had parted.

"There are pajamas in the closet, if you want them. I'm going to get ready for bed," Kaiba said.

"Pajamas are for girls."

Jonouchi stripped down to his boxers, throwing his clothes into a small pile before taking over the bathroom and using Kaiba's mouthwash before also grabbing the man's toothbrush.

"Don't hate me," Jonouchi called out from the room, "I'll clean it really good when I'm done, promise."

Kaiba groaned as he pulled his turtleneck over his head. "You could have asked for an extra one…" The thought of sharing a toothbrush with someone else made his skin crawl, but after the initial disgust, Kaiba supposed his aversion was a little silly. They'd swapped spit and done _other _things, so how was this any worse?

"And you could have used a condom last time we had sex, but you didn't. I lived," snorted Jonouchi as he rolled his eyes, "and so will you."

He stuck out his tongue for effect.

Rolling his eyes, Kaiba finished getting undressed, tossing his clothes into the hamper and making his way to the bathroom. True to his word, Jonouchi was in the process of thoroughly rinsing off Kaiba's toothbrush, and Kaiba snatched it back, playfully bumping Jonouchi out of the way with his hip.

"Enjoy."

Jonouchi didn't stick around, skipping off into the bedroom as Kaiba finished up. Brushing his teeth, Kaiba watched Jonouchi get into bed from the corner of his eyes. While he didn't seem too upset on the outside, Kaiba knew better. He was probably trying to hide it.

Kaiba quickly completed his nightly routine, turning off the lights and making his way to the bed by muscle memory and the faint light of the moon seeping past the curtains. Climbing into bed, Kaiba was surprised to find himself immediately next to Jonouchi, the other laying uncharacteristically close to the center of the bed. Going on instinct, he sidled up next to Jonouchi, throwing an arm over the other's waist.

It was so dark, they could barely see each other, but Kaiba could smell Jonouchi's familiar scent, and hear his soft breathing. He wasn't asleep, and he didn't feel tense for once, either.

Jonouchi moved an inch closer, touching a lock of Kaiba's hair before pulling his hand back. "Why did you help me?"

"Because you asked me to." If he focused, he could almost make out Jonouchi's eyes shining in the darkness.

"You didn't want to."

"I wanted to help _you_, Jonouchi." His hand traveled up, resting lightly against the column of Jonouchi's neck, thumb tracing along his jawline.

"You're just a little gay, you know," mumbled Jonouchi as he turned his head away shyly, "but thanks though, really. I appreciated the help. I just can't believe he up and left without saying goodbye or anything. He had his issues, and I know you don't like him, but he wasn't always like that. Before all that garbage happened and Shizuka got sick, he was actually pretty alright. The stuff that happened to him wasn't completely his fault, and I never blamed him for it.

"I would have liked to at least say goodbye or something, even if our relationship wasn't a good one. But whatever, you don't want to hear me ramble on about him anymore, I'm sure."

There was a nervous laugh before Jonouchi went silent again. Kaiba almost thought he'd fallen asleep before he spoke up again.

"I just wish people would stop disappearing from my life all the time."

"I'm here," Kaiba said as his fingers continued to rub at the soft hair at the back of Jonouchi's neck.

"I know."

There was a warm rush through his body when Jonouchi suddenly reached forward and kissed him. It didn't happen often. Kaiba felt lightheaded by it, at first. He didn't know how to react, but he could feel Jonouchi placing a hand on his chest as the other sank into his hair. It was a completely alien sensation; no one ever touched him like that. Jonouchi felt desperate for him, pulling him closer, and not resisting, Kaiba felt himself leaning into him.

He didn't know how long they had lied wrapped together on their sides, but at some point Kaiba found himself hovering over Jonouchi, the other reclining against the bed. Jonouchi had spread his knees to allow Kaiba to rest between them, and Kaiba could feel himself getting warmer and warmer, the heat collecting at the center of his body, spurred on by Jonouchi's insistence.

Jonouchi had never acted like this, demonstrating his wanting of Kaiba outright. Their first time hadn't really counted - both had been drunk and stupid, reacting to a steadily building tension and carnal desire. But this was new and intoxicating in its own manner, and Kaiba quickly started to lose his head to instinct, their tangled bodies together, kisses turning deep and breathless.

Kaiba could feel Jonouchi completely. Pulling back, Kaiba gazed at his face. There were unshed tears collecting at the edges of his eyes, and Kaiba's heart nearly skipped a beat when Jonouchi reached up to cup his face with both of his hands. Jonouchi's eyes never left Kaiba's, and he rose up to meet Kaiba for a kiss, eyes closing just as their lips met, soft and languid.

It ignited a burning sensation throughout his body that he'd never felt before. Every nerve felt alive and on fire, the connection between every touch thrumming with electricity. Jonouchi was pressing against him, his knees tight against Kaiba's hips, hands roaming across Kaiba's back.

He traveled down Jonouchi's body, leaving a wake of kisses upon every expanse of skin he met. He could feel Jonouchi's rapid heartbeat pulsing in his stomach, fluttering every time Kaiba trailed further down. Lifting up, Kaiba reached over to the nightstand before he slid his and Jonouchi's boxers off. He found a warm place to settle, and after preparation, gave Jonouchi the best pleasure he'd ever given any partner before.

Jonouchi inhaled sharply, both hands reaching down to thread themselves into Kaiba's hair. A low moan escaped before his body jerked from instinct. They were both completely lost in the moment.

It was something Kaiba had rarely done with his other partners. It was something that previously held little of his interest. But now, with the taste of Jonouchi's salt on his tongue and the heavy smell of his musk all around him, Kaiba only found himself growing more aroused.

The hands in his hair began to tug, and Kaiba pulled back, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. Jonouchi was breathing in short pants, hands moved to either side to twist into the sheets. Kaiba leaned up to catch his lips again, and Jonouchi immediately responded, widening his legs, his hands finding their way to Kaiba's hair again. Kaiba came to him, and Jonouchi moaned in response, their bodies melted into each other. Jonouchi's legs encircle his hips, and they lied there for a moment, joined, staring into each other's eyes unflinchingly.

Jonouchi's eyes were heavy-lidded, but there was an alertness behind them, a total recognition of the present rooted within his desire. Kaiba almost forgot to blink, but then he recalled the pressure surrounding him and so began.

Forearms braced on either side of Jonouchi's head, Kaiba could feel his and Jonouchi's breaths mingle in the air between them. Jonouchi would oscillate between closing his eyes and locking his with Kaiba's, his hands likewise running a circuit starting at Kaiba's hair, down his shoulders, pausing to grasp onto Kaiba's forearms, and then back again.

Then suddenly, Jonouchi gasped loudly as his entire body shuddered underneath Kaiba. He'd never taken his eyes off Kaiba's face, and Kaiba thought it was the most erotic thing he'd ever seen.

Leaning down to recapture Jonouchi's mouth, Kaiba rode out to completion, bright spots converging in front of his eyes until he couldn't see at all. And then the moment passed, and his vision returned, and all Kaiba could feel was the rise and fall of Jonouchi's chest. The room was sweltering, and they were drenched with sweat, but neither found themselves wanting to move. Kaiba suddenly felt bonelessly exhausted, but he managed to lift up enough to plant tiny kisses all over Jonouchi's face, smoothing out the other's matted bangs with his fingers. It brought out a tiny laugh from Jonouchi, whose slight smile slowly faded as he relaxed and recovered from the exertion.

Kaiba rolled onto his back, finding a dry space on the bed as Jonouchi scooted closer and fell onto his side, laying his head against his chest. It felt comfortable, and before Kaiba could react, Jonouchi had half his body draped across him, including one leg lying over Kaiba's own and an arm across his chest. They were both so sweaty, but neither of them cared, and Kaiba found himself stroking Jonouchi's hair as the other began to close his eyes.

"You don't need to worry about anything," Kaiba whispered as Jonouchi's eyes fluttered open.

"What do you mean?"

"You can live with me," Kaiba continued, his face becoming more serious as Jonouchi stared up at him, "I mean it. I want to take care of you."

Jonouchi didn't answer verbally. He was quiet, but Kaiba didn't push the subject. Now far too tired to argue his case, he just continued stroking Jonouchi's hair as the other dropped his head and succumbed to his desire for sleep. Soon his breathing changed and the characteristic little snores that Jonouchi always gave began to begin without delay.

Kaiba didn't fall asleep as quickly, though. He watched, his eyes heavy under the strain of staying awake.

His idea was a good one. It would solve all their problems. If Jonouchi just stayed with him, they wouldn't need to worry about him getting jumped again, and the problems with his family would dissipate. Things were different now, and Kaiba was sure Jonouchi felt the same way back. They were together, after all. Really together. Jonouchi had to feel the same for him as what Kaiba felt, after what they'd done together.

Kaiba had never looked his partner in the eyes before while having sex. He'd never felt comfortable with the idea. Before, he had always made sure he couldn't be watched, but that hadn't happened with Jonouchi. Everything had changed, and while making love to him, Kaiba knew he'd never settle for anyone else after feeling so much. He was sure of it. He couldn't emotionally handle opening up to another person ever again.

Finally closing his eyes, Kaiba felt self-assured. Jonouchi wanted to be with him. He wanted to stay with him, and Kaiba didn't want him to leave. Staying together would solve all their problems, and with that final thought in his head, Kaiba fell asleep.


	24. Chapter 24

For once, Jonouchi didn't find himself the first to wake up. He was still comfortably asleep until he felt the bed shift, and someone was touching the hair on his face. Squirming, Jonouchi made a face and batted the hand away, turning around before trying to fall back to sleep again.

He was really tired. Still exhausted, but it felt like emotional exhaust more than anything physical. His body felt fine, and besides the uncomfortable sensation around his groin, he didn't have anything to complain about. The bed was comfortable, and the comforters were heavy. The Kaiba Mansion was frequently drafty, but lying next to another person under so many covers, Jonouchi hardly noticed the chill.

But he did notice warm hands sliding down from his shoulders to his hip, and becoming irritated, Jonouchi tried slapping the hands away blindly.

"Knock it off, I'm trying to sleep."

"What happened to you being a morning person?" Kaiba murmured, hands still in place.

"Not right now..."

Usually he felt motivated to get up out of bed first thing in the morning, but since Jonouchi didn't really have anywhere to be that day, he felt no inclination to go springing out of bed while his body still felt wiped out. It didn't help either that the first thing that came to mind as he gained consciousness was the fact that his father had ran off to the other side of the Pacific.

Jonouchi would have to go apartment hunting. That would be a pain in itself, but there was also having to let Shizuka know and dealing with whatever crap his mother decided to pull since she'd inevitably find out like she always did.

It was too much to deal with in one day, but Jonouchi wasn't going to continue living in that ghetto another day longer and he didn't want to bum out at Yugi's place anymore, either. He appreciated the help, but that wasn't his home.

He felt a hand brush between his shoulder blades. "Come on, the day is passing us by…"

"What time is it?"

"Quarter past eight."

"It's not late until ten, now go back to sleep."

And falling chest first into the mattress, Jonouchi laid on his stomach, lying his head over his arm as he tried letting his mind zone out before feeling light kisses on his back. His skin tickled and he could feel himself shuddering from the warmth. It felt strange, and Jonouchi had half a mind to smack Kaiba's face away as he grumbled in irritation, but he stopped himself.

"Any other day, I would've been up two hours ago…"

"Fine," snorted Jonouchi, "get up then, I won't stop you. But I'm going to enjoy my beauty sleep for as long as I can."

He heard a loud, exasperated sigh and then the bed lurched from what he supposed was Kaiba rolling away and flopping back against it. Jonouchi could feel Kaiba getting agitated, and it made it difficult to fall back asleep under that pressure, but just when he'd started to drift off, the mattress dipped again. "Fine. I'm going to take a shower," Kaiba announced, rising and throwing off the sheets. His sudden movements caused a gust of cold air blow underneath the covers, snapping Jonouchi's eyes open as his entire backside was assaulted by a sharp decrease in temperature.

"Why is your bedroom so fucking cold," asked Jonouchi as he whined, rolling onto his other side to peer at Kaiba, who was putting his boxers back on over his hips, "Kaiba?"

Kaiba cocked an eyebrow at him. "It's always been like this. Probably thanks to those," he pointed at the series of floor-length windows next to the bed. "I thought you were still sleeping."

"Now that you exposed my body to a rush of freezing cold air, I don't think that's going to happen," answered Jonouchi, "and just because of that, I'm going to stay right here and make you shower all by your lonesome self."

"Suit yourself," Kaiba said, walking over to the bathroom, "You can build yourself a cocoon of cold sheets while I enjoy my _hot _shower."

Jonouchi's face fell. Apparently Kaiba wasn't going to take the bait, and dumping his chin into the pillows, he just narrowed his eyes slightly before rolling them and trying to fix his hair. It felt greasy, which wasn't very usual for Jonouchi. The bed was also soiled from all the perspiration they'd created the night before, and his skin smelled. He felt like he'd gone to the gym and went to bed without a proper shower.

"Yeah, you go and do that, then," mumbled Jonouchi under his breath.

He wasn't even sure why he was being obstinate all of a sudden. Kaiba hadn't done anything offensive, but Jonouchi was going out of his way to be obnoxious, anyways. Still messing with his hair, he didn't feel comfortable enough to actually try analyzing himself. Nothing good would come of that.

"If you decide you've had enough of the cold, well, I'll keep the door open," Kaiba teased, disappearing into the bathroom.

Jonouchi cocked an eyebrow but said nothing. Now Kaiba was baiting him. He didn't know what would happen if he actually did join him, though. Would they end up doing anything or would they be responsible adults and get their morning going before the world continued without them? Stomach growling, he quickly became aware of his desire for breakfast, and knowing that there had to be food waiting for him downstairs, Jonouchi jumped out of bed shamelessly naked, going into the master bathroom just as Kaiba stepped into the shower.

It was a huge room. Jonouchi hadn't noticed the first time around, having been too preoccupied puking his guts up, but his bedroom in his shitty apartment was as big as the bathroom, if not actually a little smaller. There was a huge walk in shower with the foggy glass, and a giant tub with multiple jets that intrigued Jonouchi as he looked around.

Everything was modern. White and clean. It looked more like Kaiba than most of the house, and turning his attention to the sound of water coming out of the shower head, Jonouchi paused before grabbing the door handle and stepping in.

"Is your resolve that easy to break, or did you just miss me too much?" Kaiba was scrubbing water over his face and through his hair, but the hint of amusement was unmistakable.

"Missed you, a little," Jonouchi admitted as he turned his back to Kaiba and grabbed a washcloth for himself, "although I don't miss that smart mouth of yours."

"Oh really?"

Jonouchi nearly yelped when he felt lips against his neck, and in his surprise, Kaiba managed to snatch his washcloth away.

He stared at the tilted wall for a second, his mind blanking from the surprise before his head finally turned and his face scowled at Kaiba.

"Give that back."

Kaiba was rubbing the cloth together, working up bubbles from the soap. He reached out and grasped at Jonouchi's wrist, and before Jonouchi could react, he was tugged forward underneath the shower head. Wet bangs obscured his vision, and then he felt the heaviness of the cloth against his chest, moving in small circles.

Jonouchi frowned.

"I can wash myself, you know."

Before Kaiba could react, Jonouchi snatched the cloth back and whipped his hair, splashing Kaiba in the face.

He didn't feel comfortable with the idea of having someone else bathe him. Jonouchi didn't even know why he went into the shower with Kaiba in the first place. It wasn't like sharing bathing space was weird or different; Japanese men had been doing it for centuries. Public bath houses made an art of it, but doing it with someone Jonouchi slept with was something else entirely.

And besides, men didn't typically harass each other while trying to wash.

"Besides," he added for dramatic effect, "I could have slipped and died when you dragged me over there."

Kaiba snorted as he poured shampoo onto his hand. "I was holding onto you. It was hardly a recipe for your early demise."

"You could have slipped and died, then."

He quickly washed out his hair after that, stealing some of Kaiba's shampoo before lathering up and rinsing off. It took him very little time to finish up, and he'd gotten out before Kaiba did, already brushing his teeth when Kaiba finally stepped out. Towel around his waist, Jonouchi watched from the corner of his eyes, leering a little before he spat out the toothpaste and rinsed out his mouth.

It was Saturday. Thankfully for them both, they didn't have engagements and Jonouchi could try getting a hold of Shizuka since she wouldn't be in school past noon.

Kaiba moved freakishly quiet. Jonouchi hadn't even noticed that Kaiba had sidled up next to him behind his shoulder until he felt Kaiba's hand over his, plucking the toothbrush away. "Getting you your own toothbrush is going to have to be a priority," he said with a grin, rinsing it underneath the faucet.

"And putting a bell around your neck is going to have to be mine," said Jonouchi as he nearly tripped over himself trying to move out of the way. Kaiba wasn't directly behind him, but he was enough so that it was awkward trying to move without rubbing against him, and fighting back the embarrassment, Jonouchi grabbed onto his towel and walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Kaiba was in a strangely good mood. Friendlier than he ever had been, and Jonouchi sat down on the bed contemplating it before the sound of the door opening broke his spell and he rushed to get his clothes on.

"Why are you being so weird?" he blurted without thinking. "You're not usually so... touchy."

Kaiba blinked, pausing mid-stride in the doorway. Droplets fell from his hair, soaking into the carpet. "I'm not allowed to touch the person I'm in a relationship with?"

"You aren't normally like this."

"We're at home. In private. What does it matter?"

"It doesn't matter," Jonouchi sighed, "but that doesn't mean I'm used to it. What happened to the tsundere Kaiba from months past, hmm?"

"I can play hard to get, if that's what you like," Kaiba snickered as he made his way to his closet, "but it doesn't seem worth the effort since you already caught me."

"It's what I'm used to."

"Then readjust your expectations," Kaiba said simply as he threw clothes on. "Learn to be flexible."

"Easier said than done," mumbled Jonouchi under his breath.

He wasn't going to argue with Kaiba over it. Clearly, he wasn't being taken seriously. Kaiba seemed stuck on cloud nine, and frowning, Jonouchi straightened out his clothes before finding his keys in his pocket and taking off again out the bedroom door.

Sure, Jonouchi knew he was being rude, but his stomach was lurching uncomfortably and he needed to get out of that suffocating room. He could no longer think of eating now, and he needed to go find somewhere else to live. Sugoroku would probably allow him to hole up in Yugi's room for however long he needed until he had his situation figured out, and Jonouchi had more than enough money to pay off another two months rent until his lease ran out. He could talk to the manager and finally get rid of that place and move out, if he hurried.

Cursing himself, Jonouchi realized he left his stupid motorcycle at the garage. He'd have to call Isono to drive him back to the Game Shop, and he'd take the bus to his old neighborhood to clear out.

Hearing heavy footsteps, Jonouchi turned to look behind him. Kaiba was chasing after him, hair still wet and tugging the hem of his shirt down. There was a strange look on his face - on any other person, Jonouchi would have recognized it as panic, but this was Kaiba. He didn't panic.

"Where are you going?"

"Home? Since when did I need permission to leave this place?"

Kaiba stopped a few feet from Jonouchi and frowned. "You don't. But you could at least tell me you're leaving instead of just clearing out like that."

"Okay fine," replied Jonouchi, as he turned away to face the main door and crossed his arms against his chest, "I'm leaving. I need to go apartment hunting."

The frown on Kaiba's face only deepened. "Why? I told you that you could stay here."

"I don't think that's a good idea. How long have we been seeing each other?" asked Jonouchi as he moved close and poked Kaiba in the chest directly, "A month, if that, right? What makes you think we could live together indefinitely without killing one another? Besides, your brother is here, too."

By this point, Kaiba was outright _scowling_. "You're not some stranger, Jonouchi. I wasn't kidding about what I said last night, but it's like you didn't hear any of it. We're together. You need a safe place to live. It just makes sense."

"It doesn't to me. I mean look at yourself, you're already mad. You'd kill me in a week!"

Kaiba opened his mouth and immediately snapped it shut, the anger on his face dissipating but the frown still remaining. "That's not true."

"I think you're letting the sex get to your head," continued Jonouchi as he mimicked Kaiba's frown, "I don't think you're thinking this entire thing through. I mean first of all, have you ever lived with another person before? Do you really want me sharing a bedroom with you? I don't think so.

"And second, you're my boss. How would that look if someone found out? Maybe you don't care, but I certainly do. I don't have billions of yen to cover my ass with if a giant scandal breaks out..."

He also didn't want to just admit that he didn't want to live with Kaiba. Jonouchi liked his privacy. Sure, he also liked being around people, but Kaiba had a difficult personality and they were good with time apart. He wasn't an easy-going guy like Honda.

Kaiba's normally pale complexion was becoming flushed - if he wasn't angry before, Kaiba's temper was certainly showing itself now. "I'm not just with you for the sex, Jonouchi. Don't assume things about me. I wouldn't just leave you to the wolves - if something were to happen, I'd protect you." He stepped back and pinched at the bridge of his nose, exhaling slowly. "I don't think you listened to a word I said last night. It's like it didn't even happen."

"I did listen last night, you moron," growled Jonouchi as he stepped forward and forced himself into Kaiba's personal space before smacking his hand away from pinching his nose, "You have feelings for me. I get it. But that doesn't make your grand plan a good one.

"And I'm a grown-ass man, I don't need protection. I've been taking care of myself for years."

"So am I the only one with _feelings_ here, or have I been mistaken this entire time?" Kaiba bit back.

This time Jonouchi's face turned red, and he immediately hid his face in his hands before his face was burning up and he lost the desire to care anymore. Bringing his hands down, he snapped, shoving Kaiba hard on the shoulders before trying again and getting his arms grabbed still, "Stop trying to push your damn insecurities on me, Kaiba. I already told you how I felt about you, so lay off it already. For someone so smart, you can have such a damn thick skull!"

If his hands were free, Jonouchi would have tried to smack the back of his head for emphasis, but Kaiba probably wouldn't react too well to _that_.

"Then you could start acting like it!" Kaiba nearly exploded, shaking Jonouchi before releasing his hold and backing away.

"What the hell are you expecting? I'm not some girl, Kaiba, I don't hug and kiss and do that romantic crap. If that's what you want, then you need to start looking at women for a change or something. I'm not doing that."

Kaiba's eyes were bright, almost fevered, and his fists were clenched into tight balls by his side. "You could at least _act_ like we're dating. You're the one who suggested it in the first place, so take some damn responsibility. I'm not asking you to fawn all over me or some silly shit, but you could at least give me the common courtesy of not just leaving without saying anything, or act like you _want _to be in this relationship."

Holding his arms and staring at the ground silently, Jonouchi felt his face flush again. He didn't know what to say. Expressing himself had never come easy, and he could feel his eyes start to burn before he blinked them and wiped his nose with the back of his hand.

"Okay fine, you're right. I shouldn't have run off like that. I'm sorry."

Kaiba unclenched his fists, the blood slowly returning to his fingers. His shoulders sagged minutely, exhaustion replacing his anger. "I...shouldn't have yelled like that. I don't want us to be like this."

"I really don't like you hanging all over me, that's all," explained Jonouchi, who glanced Kaiba's way, looking in his eyes briefly before looking down at the floor again. "It's weird. I'm not used to it. You usually aren't all touchy-feely, and I liked that. I need space to breathe."

"I don't think I'm being overbearing. I don't really know how to explain it. I just want to be close to you," Kaiba replied softly.

"That's really gay."

One of Kaiba's eyebrows lifted, but his expression otherwise remained unchanged. "That's because I am gay. Get used to it."

"It's hard to," said Jonouchi as he pained himself trying not to laugh, "I got used to you being a certain way and you're throwing me for a loop right now."

Kaiba's other eyebrow rose to join the first one. "You didn't like the way I used to be. You wanted me to change. I don't even think the change is all that drastic, all things considered. But I'm trying to be better to you, and it's as though you don't even want that."

"I didn't mind you before, when you weren't being mean." responded Jonouchi as he sighed dramatically, "I wouldn't have continued talking to you in the first place if there wasn't anything likeable about you before, Kaiba. I don't get it."

Crossing his arms in front of his chest, Kaiba inhaled, holding his breath before releasing it. "Then if you liked how I was before, how is it bad now? I'm not - worse."

"You're different."

"And that's bad?"

"I'm not used to it," Jonouchi replied neutrally, "I don't mind you being flirty, but all this romantic stuff is weird to me."

Kaiba closed his eyes, running a hand through his bangs and pushing them back. It was odd to see him with his hair slicked back like that, haphazard as it was. Odd, but not unappealing. "It's new to me, too. It's not like I'm like this with anyone else."

"Then why do you do it?"

"I think that's pretty apparent," Kaiba said incredulously, peering up to stare at Jonouchi, "You know how I feel about you. I can't help it."

"Hmm." Pausing, Jonouchi felt his stomach flip before he turned a little and faced the door. "I don't really see why you even feel that way. I'm not that nice to you."

"If I knew why, my life would be a hell of a lot easier. But it seems as though your illogical nature has extended itself to me," Kaiba sighed. "I just do. I can't get rid of these feelings or just ignore them." He grew quiet, nervously looking away before turning back. "You're just different. You get to me," he nearly whispered.

Jonouchi was silent. He didn't have a smart answer for that. Instead of speaking, he turned his attention back towards the main entrance door and sighed, feeling the tension in his shoulders finally relaxing away before he turned back to look at Kaiba again.

"I really gotta go, but we can meet up tomorrow," offered Jonouchi with a small smile, "you could buy me dinner or something, how about it?"

"Alright." Kaiba didn't appear completely placated, but Jonouchi didn't know what else to do.

"Do you want to?"

"Yes. I'll talk to you later, then."

Kaiba seemed so put out with him. Feeling a sudden rush to fix that, Jonouchi berated himself before grabbing Kaiba's shoulders and holding still long enough to kiss him. And when he realized what he'd done, he immediately froze before running off again, his face on fire as he ran out the door.

Sunday came upon Jonouchi quickly. He had paid off his shitty apartment lease and after searching all day with Sugoroku for a new place, he had a plan to look at several promising locations in Bakura Ryou's old neighborhood. It was affordable and the area was decent. His apartment wouldn't be that much larger than what he already had, but at least Jonouchi wouldn't have to live in fear of being jumped all the time when he was out past night.

He had taken the time to call his sister, as well. The conversation had been an uncomfortable one.

"What do you mean he left?"

"He's gone, Shizuka," sighed Jonouchi as he slumped over the table in Yugi's kitchen, "I checked it out. Dad's left to Los Angeles and I don't think he'll be coming back."

"You know she won't like that."

"Yeah, I know. I've been reading her letters. Tell her she'll still be getting her money."

"Nii-san, you shouldn't enable her."

What else could he do? It was easier just paying her off. His mother wasn't asking for that much money, really, and if it was going to helping Shizuka, Jonouchi felt it was his duty then to help out. College would be expensive, and he figured he'd never be going himself, anyways.

For the first time in his life, Jonouchi had opened up a bank account and got himself a credit card. Sugoroku warned him not to use it unless necessary, and hiding the piece of plastic into the confines of his wallet, Jonouchi tried to put it out of mind.

He had plenty of cash now, anyways.

Accomplishing everything on his to-do list took longer than expected. Winter was fast approaching, and the days kept getting shorter and shorter. The sun was already low on the horizon, and after bidding Sugoroku goodnight, Jonouchi set off to meet up with Kaiba.

Reluctantly removing a hand from his coat pocket, Jonouchi scrolled through his contact list and hit dial. It only took two rings for Kaiba to pick up.

"Hey, how about that dinner?"

"Where are you now?"

Stopping mid-stride, Jonouchi looked around. "Um, I've just left the game shop. I'm only a few blocks away from central."

"Good. How about we meet up at the plaza in twenty? I'm just finishing up here."

"Sure," Jonouchi agreed, starting to walk again, "It'll take me about that long to walk there, anyway. Wait. Don't tell me you're at work on a Sunday."

The other end of the line went silent for a few seconds. "I had things that needed to get done."

Snorting a little, Jonouchi picked up his pace, the temperature rapidly cooling as the sun disappeared. "It's a miracle that a guy like you hasn't had his hair turn gray yet. When will you take a rest?"

"Maybe when I get my first gray. Then I'll consider it. I'll see you soon."

Rolling his eyes, Jonouchi hung up and pocketed his phone. There was no point in even complaining about it. Kaiba was married to his work. He'd said so before. It was pretty clear that if he wasn't busy with Mokuba or Jonouchi himself, he was going to be glued to his computer doing work for Kaiba Corporation.

Jonouchi thought it had to be a rather boring existence, but Kaiba seemed content with it. The idea of crunching numbers all day and worrying about all sorts of political business crap didn't appeal to Jonouchi at all. He could hardly tolerate being in his office, when it was required of him, and speeding up his pace, he started kicking random stones on the sidewalk as he bypassed people on the street.

It started to occur to him that he probably wouldn't be going back home after dinner. It was likely that he'd go to Kaiba's place, and realizing that, Jonouchi felt his face begin to burn again, the tell-tale sign that he was blushing, before he chided himself for being so immature.

They were dating. That's what people did, when they were seeing each other, wasn't it? Honda did the same thing with his girlfriend, which was probably why they barely saw each other anymore.

Girlfriend.

Jonouchi was beginning to feel like one. The night before last had been bizarre, and he could remember the entire thing. What started out as comfort sex had quickly turned into something else entirely, and while Jonouchi knew in his gut that he'd enjoyed it, he also felt afraid.

Why would he let Kaiba do that to him? Again and again. They were like some couple out of Anzu's stupid ero manga she collected, and making a face, Jonouchi grabbed the bridge of his nose before shaking his head.

If that was the case, he was stuck as the uke, wasn't he? Some girly shemale who cried through sex and enjoyed waving his butt around guys faces. Jonouchi didn't like seeing himself like that. He was manly, for one, and while he'd never topped before, that didn't mean he couldn't do it. Maybe if Kaiba wasn't in control of every time they'd been together, their sex would play out differently for once.

Jonouchi wasn't a girl. A catcher, as his old gang buddies like to call certain kinds of people. A receiver.

His head was beginning to hurt. It didn't come natural being so introspective, and quickening his pace, Jonouchi ended up sprinting down the street and around the corners before reaching the plaza, taking a seat by the fountain as he tried catching his breath.

He'd just regained some semblance of normalcy when Kaiba showed up, his familiar metal briefcase swaying in his grip. He seemed surprised to see Jonouchi there, his eyebrows raising before furrowing. Pulling back his coat sleeve with a gloved hand, Kaiba checked his watch and frowned. "You're here early. Were you waiting long?"

"No. I ran."

Fighting back a laugh, Kaiba's lips pulled into a smile. "That eager to see me? Or just too hungry?"

"I had stuff on my mind," explained Jonouchi as he rolled his eyes, "running helps with it. So, what are you going to buy me for dinner?"

"I thought we could do something different," Kaiba began as he looked around the area. The plaza was beginning to fill with young couples and guys cruising for girls. "Do you want to watch a movie? I figure since you sat through that opera, I should take you to something you actually want to see."

Jonouchi shook his head. The sentiment was appreciated, but he didn't want to subject Kaiba to something like him screaming through a horror movie. "I can't really talk to you in a theater, you know," he answered, "wouldn't you rather just grab dinner and hang out afterwards?"

"Sure, if that's what you'd rather do. Take your pick, then," he motioned to all the shops and cafes around them. "I haven't eaten all day, so I don't really care what we have as long as it's edible."

"Uhhh..."

Options. There were so many options available to him, since price wasn't a restriction. Jonouchi knew Kaiba would pay for anything he wanted.

"I want yakiniku."

"Lead the way."

Jonouchi blinked, but did as requested. He took a turn towards the street full of restaurants, looking at the signs and reading the boards that sat before the buildings and dining windows. For once, he knew exactly what he wanted, and he didn't stop until he saw a sign that pictured a huge display of well-marbled meat and a price that went way beyond anything Jonouchi could have afforded... or could still afford, since he wasn't _that _well off yet.

"That looks kind of expensive," mumbled Jonouchi under his breath, "beef is pricey enough, but Kobe beef on top of that?"

Kaiba laughed as he skirted around Jonouchi, entering the foyer of the restaurant. "Are you really concerned about price, when I'm buying?" he teased before approaching the hostess for a table for two.

Jonouchi made a face. He wasn't sure if he should be amused or insulted. "I'm sorry for trying to be thoughtful," he said under his breath, "I'm not some gold digger."

"I know," Kaiba replied as they waited, "and I appreciate the sentiment, but I did promise to buy you dinner. I didn't set a spending cap, either."

"We'll be eating like, a twenty thousand yen dinner, just as a 'date'," sighed Jonouchi, "and I don't think I could afford to pay you back. Sorry, but it makes me a little uncomfortable. I thought I could find some place reasonable. Anzu used to go with Yugi, and it wasn't this damn pricey..."

Everyone around them looked dressed up, too. Jonouchi thanked every deity he knew for the new clothes he had; for once in his life, he didn't appear out of place.

"Jonouchi," Kaiba said patiently, "it's fine. I don't expect you to split the bill or pay me back."

"I know, but still."

He didn't have a chance to argue further. The hostess had called Kaiba over, and Kaiba subtly tugged on Jonouchi's elbow before following after her to their booth. Removing his wool trenchcoat, Kaiba hung it on the booth's hook before sliding into his side of the table. Two menus were left, and the hostess lit the charcoal grill between them before leaving.

Jonouchi felt like he was shrinking in his seat. Kaiba was distracted by reading his menu, and looking around, Jonouchi frowned as he examined the people around him; couples, business men, and more couples. Men taking their girlfriends out for dinner. It made his stomach lurch.

"What did you do today?" Kaiba asked, shocking him out of his discomfort.

"I called my sister," replied Jonouchi automatically, "and you can only imagine how well it all played out when I told her our dad went out of town without telling any of us. She wants me to come see her sometime soon, and I think I'll try to when the holidays come around."

Kaiba nodded, giving his menu a cursory look and then pushing it aside. "Will you be able to, with your mother around? Wouldn't it be easier for her to come here?"

"Maybe," replied Jonouchi as he cleaned his hands with the napkin that was offered to them before getting a bowl of miso soup to drink, "I thought about having her over, but not until I have my own place. I'd like to have her around New Years, but I don't think our mother would approve of it, and she always gets her way. Shizuka is a giant doormat, you know."

"She's still young, and she's had an overbearing mother condition her to act that way," Kaiba said as he meticulously cleaned each finger. "How goes the search?"

"I found some places I'm going to check out next week."

Looking down and across the table, Jonouchi watched briefly as Kaiba cleaned himself. His fingers were long and smooth looking, and his nails looked maticulate. He couldn't determine if Kaiba was just careful with them or if he had them professionally done.

"Why? I thought you disapproved of my apartment hunting?"

"My offer still stands," Kaiba said, leaning forward a little and looking directly at Jonouchi. He thought he felt a foot brush against his under the table, but Kaiba made no indication whether it was intentional.

"I know," Jonouchi answered, "but I think that's rushing things a little. You'd hate me after a month, trust me."

Besides, Jonouchi didn't like the idea of moving into Kaiba's place. His _boyfriend's_ place. Like he was some silly girl who couldn't be trusted to take care of himself. Isn't that what girls often did? Moved in with their more successful boyfriends before getting married and giving up their jobs?

Did Kaiba think he was like some silly girlfriend? He was beginning to wonder.

"What happened between you and that girl you dated years back," blurted Jonouchi, "you were vague about it."

Kaiba blinked at the abrupt shift in conversation, but he recovered quickly, his features melting into amusement. "We just didn't work out. I determined I liked men more, and she was with me for all the wrong reasons, anyway. I didn't care much at the time, but I wasn't that invested in the relationship anyway."

"Then why did you date her?"

"She was beautiful and persistent. I liked that she was driven. Things were fine, but they never really extended beyond just 'fine.' It got boring, and by that point, I'd become more of a means to an end for her."

"But you had sex with her," Jonouchi added, as he leaned closer to the table, "didn't that mean something to you?"

"I wasn't some lovestruck teenager," Kaiba replied, "Sex didn't have to have some grand meaning."

"Then what was the point?"

"Physical gratification. Curiosity."

"That's surprisingly shallow of you."

Kaiba quirked an eyebrow, but he didn't seem bothered by Jonouchi's judgment. "It's not like anyone got hurt. There's nothing wrong with two adults doing adult things."

"Not when you're using someone like a science experiment," mumbled Jonouchi under his breath.

Sighing, Kaiba crossed his arms tight against his chest. "I wasn't using her. At least not as much as she used me. It doesn't even matter. Call it an experiment, but how else are you supposed to know about yourself if you don't try."

Jonouchi made a face. Maybe Kaiba was right, but the callous kind of tone he put to it didn't settle well in Jonouchi's gut.

It wasn't even callous, just... utter indifference. Sure, his first relationship and only relationship with a girl had been an utter failure, but he didn't think it was meaningless. He had liked his girlfriend and he tried to make it work out, but it just wouldn't.

He certainly didn't consider his sexual goof-ups as "experiments".

Thankfully, Jonouchi was spared having to answer as the waitress reappeared and Kaiba turned his attention to ordering dinner.

Soon a huge platter of meat appeared at the table, alongside vegetables. Hungry and slightly put out, Jonouchi distracted himself with cooking immediately, using his chopsticks to place the strips of beef onto the hot plate as Kaiba sighed heavily.

"It's not meaningless with you," Kaiba said, his face surprisingly unguarded.

"That's a relief."

"I mean it. Jonouchi, you can't be mad at me over a relationship I had in the past."

"Maybe, but you shouldn't be telling me how I should feel about it, Kaiba. Or anything else, for that matter.

"I want to talk about something else already. I don't care about your ex-girlfriend."

"You asked. I answered," Kaiba replied evenly.

"Well, now I'm done asking you questions..."

He was ruining their dinner. Their extremely expensive dinner Kaiba bought to appease him, and now he was being a bit of an over sensitive jerk... like some bratty girl who had no control over her feelings.

"What do you want to talk about," asked Jonouchi as he finally brought up his eyes to look Kaiba in the face, "since I'm picking all the wrong topics."

Uncrossing his arms, Kaiba set his palms upon the table and rolled his chopsticks back and forth, ignoring the food entirely. "I do believe you've earned yourself a little fan contingent in the office since your last tournament. Eguchi in particular seems quite smitten."

"I find that hard to believe. I don't think that woman likes anyone, not even you," answered Jonouchi before he laughed at himself a little, "I don't think she even cares about dueling."

"She normally doesn't," Kaiba said, finally picking up his chopsticks and prodding at the meat on the grill. "I caught her today watching a news video about you - she was actually smiling for a change."

"And did you ask her about it?"

"No, I let her be. It's best not to upset the backbone of your company," Kaiba responded with a small laugh.

Jonouchi just snorted.

"Does she ever get excited watching you duel or am I just the lucky one she decided to like all of a sudden?" he asked.

"I suspect you're a special case; she's never inquired over my own record unless it pertained to something she was working on."

"She must not like you that much."

Kaiba snorted, picking up a piece of beef and placing it on Jonouchi's plate. "Eguchi's stuck around ever since the beginning, so she must at least tolerate me. She can be intimidating in her own manner; I suppose we level each other out in that regard."

"Yeah, because you're the one with the money," Jonouchi pointed out before snatching the slice of beef on his plate, "anyone with some sense in their head isn't going to go and antagonize their boss... unless they are me. But I don't have sense in my head, so..."

Jonouchi promptly shut his mouth, dumping more food onto the grill. He could hear Kaiba snorting across from him and he couldn't help but smile a little at that.

"How does this work exactly, since I do technically work for you?" asked Jonouchi before he ate a pepper. "We never worked that out exactly."

"How does what work?"

"You're my boss," Jonouchi pointed out rather loudly before he hushed himself, "and we're sleeping together. You and I both know that's breaking a whole bunch of rules."

"This isn't the military; my company doesn't have rules against fraternization," Kaiba smirked, "And it's not like you're my secretary or anything. I'm your boss at work and your boyfriend all other times. It's that simple."

"I don't think it's exactly simple, but whatever."

Kaiba was used to making up his own rules about things. Jonouchi decided to just let it go.

He tried to keep the conversation light for the rest of the evening. Jonouchi didn't feel like bringing up anything that might end up being some buried landmine, and he sincerely wanted to enjoy his date. Kaiba was trying to be amiable, which was appreciated, and the food was excellent. It shouldn't have been so difficult to have a good time doing something like eating expensive beef, which Jonouchi usually enjoyed.

But for some reason, he felt disconnected. His feelings waved back and forth like a tide, his heart switching from light with happiness to heavy with resentment as the night continued on. He didn't know why. Jonouchi wasn't sure how to explain himself, and he focused on sipping his tea whenever the strange feelings overcame him.

It started to take a sharp hold when they got into Kaiba's car and instead of asking where Jonouchi wanted to go, he just assumed driving to the mansion would be okay. Jonouchi's stomach made a strange flip; he felt his organs tie into uncomfortable knots as Kaiba turned onto the highway, speeding along until they finally reached the gates of the Kaiba mansion.

"You didn't even ask if I wanted to stay the night," mumbled Jonouchi under his breath as he rolled his eyes and sighed heavily.

"Why wouldn't you want to?"

Kaiba's face looked impassive. He either didn't see the face Jonouchi made in the darkness or he didn't care.

"Maybe I wanted to spend the night alone," suggested Jonouchi, "maybe I wanted to sleep in my own bed for a change."

"You mean Yugi's bed," Kaiba corrected rather curtly.

"Kaiba, you shouldn't assume things."

"You've stayed over night before," said Kaiba as he flashed his ID card to the security surrounding the giant iron gate, "I don't see why you're making a big deal of it now."

"I'm not making a big deal of it," said Jonouchi under his breath, "I just think it was rather rude of you."

"Would you rather I turn around and drive you back then?" asked Kaiba sharply as his dark eyes flashed dangerously in the darkness of the sport's car.

Jonouchi felt his body go cold, a strange numbness flowing up from his tailbone up through his spine until it reached all across his limbs. He wasn't sure how angry Kaiba was, but shutting his mouth, Jonouchi folded his arms and shook his head no.

"Good. Next time, say something before I get on the highway."

The tension just continued on after that point. Jonouchi rushed up the stairs and immediately locked Kaiba out of the bathroom, taking his sweet time brushing his teeth and preparing himself for bed before coming out and dumping his clothes in a pile before getting under the sheets.

Kaiba had been working on his laptop. He looked genuinely surprised when Jonouchi laid down, his mouth frowning before he finally spoke.

"I thought we were going to hang out."

"I changed my mind," answered Jonouchi.

"...You seem to do quite often," responded Kaiba as he worked on putting away his laptop, "about a lot of things."

_Stay flexible. _Not responding, Jonouchi just shut his eyes and hide his head under the comforter. He didn't want to talk about it anymore. Allowing it to drag on would only lead to a fight.

"Sometimes I wonder if you even like me at all," said Kaiba softly as he shut himself in the bathroom.

Once the door closed, Jonouchi turned around and opened his eyes to the darkness of the master bedroom. It felt cold. The shadows seemed to hide in every corner, like they were planning to reach out and snatch him from the safety of his bed, and Jonouchi tried ignoring the feeling of being watched until Kaiba reappeared.

He was now undressed and got into the bed. Jonouchi moved away from the center, creating considerable distance before settling at the side of the mattress.

"I do like you, Kaiba," answered Jonouchi after a few moments of tense silence. He wasn't even sure if Kaiba was still awake or not. He was quiet when he slept.

"Then why are you being so difficult?"

"Because _you're_ difficult," stressed Jonouchi as he turned around, his dark brown eyes shining across the mattress as Kaiba stared back, "You are too intense about everything. You won't stop rushing me into feeling the same for you when I'm not there yet. I need more time to figure things out, but you won't give me any breathing space."

"Oh I'm sorry," snapped Kaiba as he rolled onto his back before giving Jonouchi an angry looking side glance, "I'm sorry I care too much, because apparently that's a problem to you."

"It is when you try telling me how to live my life and who I should live it with."

There was a pause before Kaiba snorted. "Your father was a terrible man and left you," he said coolly, "and your mother is just as horrible. You can't seriously be upset with me because I want to take care of you since no one else would."

"It's not your job to," pointed out Jonouchi, "I'm a grown-ass man. I can take care of myself."

Kaiba's face fell. His eyes quickly went from cold and chilly to something similar to sadness, but Jonouchi couldn't quite place a name on it.

"I understand that, Jonouchi," he answered softly, "but I'd like to help. Do something."

"I don't want help. From anyone. You used to berate me for relying on Yugi too much," pointed out Jonouchi, "and I resented that, but it was true. Now I'm finally on my own and you want me to live with you... I can't do that. I need to be alone and learn to count on myself."

"If that's how you feel about it, then I'll respect your wishes."

"Thank you."

There was a loud sigh from Kaiba's side like he wasn't quite finished with the discussion but didn't feel like pressing it further. Jonouchi was glad for it. He was tired of fighting. He wanted things to be easy again, but things with Kaiba were never easy.

"... Do you feel like I'm emasculating you? Is that the problem?"

Jonouchi's eyes fluttered as he groaned internally. Apparently Kaiba wasn't done.

"Kaiba, I don't want to talk about this anymore. I want to go to sleep."

"It's a simple question, Jonouchi. All I need is a yes or no."

"Yes," Jonouchi answered, and then he shut his eyes again and snorted.

There was a moment of stillness before Kaiba took a breath. "...I'm not trying to," he murmured through the darkness, "it's not my intention to make you feel that way."

"But you do regardless, so how else am I supposed to feel?"

"Feel?" said Kaiba loudly, "You should feel like I care about you, because I do. You should feel like I want you and yet you constantly push me away like I'm doing something wrong or bad to you. I'm not good with people in close relationships, I get that, but you don't help things one bit, Jonouchi. I think we'd come to some sort of understanding of each other, like last time we were intimate, but then you decide that something must be wrong and we come to an impasse again.

"Well, I'm frankly sick of it. You told me you wanted a relationship with me, Jonouchi, but all you seem to want to do is fuck and leave."

"You don't understand what it's like to be me, from where I'm standing," pointed out Jonouchi.

"No, clearly I don't."

"None of this is easy for me."

Kaiba chuckled darkly, grabbing at his hair before releasing a breath loudly, "And you think it's easy for me? Every time I try to do something nice for you, you either reject me or take it as an insult. How am I supposed to feel about that? Or after sex, you try running off in the morning like you have something to be ashamed of..."

Looking away towards the darkness, Jonouchi didn't answer. His stomach lurched and he grabbed at his hair roughly before letting it go and turning onto his stomach. Pressing against the mattress hard, he felt air escaping his lungs before Kaiba spoke again.

"... You do feel ashamed. That's the problem here, I can tell."

"We can't all say fuck it to the world like you do, Kaiba," answered Jonouchi back sourly, "sorry if I disappointed you."

"I'm sorry, too."

The words stung, but Jonouchi didn't know what else to say. He was exhausted, emotionally. The food had left him heavy. Kaiba laid a distance from his side of the bed, and the room was cold. Almost downright frigid. Jonouchi wasn't sure if the cold fall air was the only thing to blame, and shuddering from the chill, he sank deeper into the blankets before finally feeling somewhat comfortable.

Closing his eyes, Jonouchi could picture Kaiba on the other side, arms tight across his chest with his jaw tense and mouth a thin, straight line. His eyebrows were probably furrowed and Jonouchi frowned at the thought. It wasn't what he wanted. For someone so detached from people, Kaiba was surprisingly sensitive. If he felt offended or hurt from Jonouchi's words, Kaiba wouldn't allow himself to express it, so Jonouchi could only lie there feeling guilty.

Guilty for not being tactful in expressing himself. But he meant what he said concerning their relationship. Kaiba was too controlling. And Jonouchi felt emasculated. Feeling like the girl during sex was one thing, but feeling that way all the time even when they weren't sexual was unbearable.

And the constant push, for Jonouchi to catch up with Kaiba's intense feelings, just made everything that much worse. They hadn't been together long, but Kaiba was so sure of how he felt.

Jonouchi did not.

Kaiba had been right, Jonouchi realized with a depressing sigh. They were stuck at an impasse.


	25. Chapter 25

The deadlock continued to the next morning. Kaiba had barely slept at all - he'd lain awake for hours, still and silent. He couldn't remember how long he'd had to wait for sleep to finally take him, but it hadn't been restful at all. He thought maybe he'd had a dream, or maybe he'd dreamt their entire fight, but when Kaiba woke the next morning, groggy and exhausted, the twisting feeling in his stomach was enough proof that it had indeed occurred.

It was barely light outside, and he'd awakened well before his alarm, but Kaiba figured there was no use laying in bed, doing nothing. There was no way he would be able to go back to sleep, and turning to see Jonouchi zonked out beside him, Kaiba decided to get a head start on his day.

Sliding out of the bed slowly, he quietly padded over to the bathroom and flipped the lock. He just needed some time to himself (surely Jonouchi could appreciate _that_; he'd complained about having time to himself, after all). Some of the anger had abated with sleep, but Kaiba could feel it hiding at the back of his throat, ready to make a swift return at the slightest agitation. The last thing he needed was another fight with Jonouchi, and with that in mind, using the next hour to collect his emotions seemed like the logical thing to do.

Letting the hot water pour down his body, Kaiba washed slowly, replaying the previous night's conversation in his head. He didn't regret anything he said. It was all true, and he wasn't going to apologize for any of it. Jonouchi was just being over-sensitive. Couldn't he see the good behind all of Kaiba's actions? No, Jonouchi would rather make things unnecessarily difficult by throwing them back in Kaiba's face every time he tried to be thoughtful.

It was starting to get old. If Kaiba was his usual self, he was an asshole; if he was a caring partner, he was still an asshole. Jonouchi wouldn't let him win. He was too preoccupied with feeling "emasculated" - which was preposterous in and of itself - to actually try at making their relationship work. Although Jonouchi admitted to "liking" him, what did that even mean? And was there any weight to those words at all?

He knew he was moving fast. But it wasn't like he and Jonouchi were strangers - they'd known each other a long time, and things had been changing between them since the summer. What was there to wonder about? They'd been physical, there were feelings, and they were together in an official relationship. If Jonouchi wasn't certain, he shouldn't have suggested it in the first place.

Kaiba was certain. He'd made up his mind, and there was no denying what he felt. What _Jonouchi_ made him feel. It would have been easier if they hadn't tried at all - Kaiba could have walked away with mitigated damage, but now he was in for the long haul.

This was it for him. All or nothing. If nothing, then never again.

And Jonouchi was _ashamed_ of them.

The conclusion left him with a sour taste in Kaiba's mouth. He didn't bother over such trifles as _shame_. Who cared what others thought? Kaiba wasn't about to let his life be dictated by something so irrelevant as others' perceptions of _morality_. Turning off the taps, he stepped out of the shower, a rush of cold air hitting his skin through the balmy steam. Quickly drying off, Kaiba wrapped a towel around his waist and looked at himself in the mirror, palms heavy and flat against the countertop.

He had dark circles under his eyes. That wasn't surprising. His skin seemed dry. His face looked dull and his expressions unnatural. He was tired.

Sighing deeply, Kaiba hung his head, palms pressing harder against the marble. He didn't want to deal with any of this. He had a whole work week ahead of him, and personal problems leaking into his professional life was unacceptable. Feeling something warm trickle down his lips, Kaiba tensed as his eyes snapped open. A small red dot colored the sink, soon joined by a larger second one. Cursing silently, Kaiba held a knuckle up to his nose and grabbed a fistful of tissues.

Of course.

By the time the steam had dissipated, his nosebleed had finally stopped. The sink looked like some kind of morbid drip painting. Chucking the tissues into the trash, Kaiba turned on the faucet and watched the blood dissolve in the water, swirling down the drain.

He took care of the rest of his appearance quickly, electing to wear one of his usual dark sweaters, just in case of a repeat occurrence. Kaiba was just glad that Jonouchi hadn't been awake to witness it.

Jonouchi was still sleeping. Feeling the back of his neck prickle, Kaiba marched over to the foot of the bed and roughly shook at the lump that was Jonouchi's leg.

"Wake up. We have work."

Jonouchi rose slowly on his elbows, his eyes bleary. He blinked them several times, "What the hell, Kaiba…" Yawning, Jonouchi turned to stare at the alarm clock, squinted, then rolled over to stare at Kaiba. He blinked again, his eyes finally coming to focus. "Hey, you're dressed already. Why didn't you wake me up?"

The prickling sensation rushed down to his chest. "Oh, I know the feeling," Kaiba replied with a bit more bite than intended. But once his mouth had opened, it was like he couldn't stop himself. "At least I didn't run off without you."

Face melting into a scowl, Jonouchi sat up straight, the sheets pooling around his hips. "Fuck, Kaiba, when are you going to let that go?" A fist slammed down into the mattress.

"When will you get over it?" Kaiba retorted.

"What are you even talking about?"

"You! You're perfectly fine when it comes to us fucking or for using me as a last resort whenever you need something, but then you act like actually _being _with me is some kind of detestable stigma. Why are we even together?" Kaiba nearly screamed. What the hell was he even doing? He felt possessed, fixated on every horrible emotion and hurtling them toward the one he held dear.

Making a show of rolling his eyes, Jonouchi sighed loudly as he untangled himself from the sheets. "Oh my god, Kaiba, I'm not getting into this with you right now. Not before work."

Kaiba stepped over, blocking Jonouchi's path. "You never want to talk about anything when it comes to us." He could see irritation blooming across Jonouchi's face, his body going rigid and hunched like an animal under attack.

"Get out of my damn way," Jonouchi growled, shoving at Kaiba's chest.

Kaiba slapped Jonouchi's hand away and crossed his arms. "You know, I don't get you. Feel 'emasculated' or whatever all you want - the only one making you feel that way is yourself," Kaiba said, his voice rising and laced with dark laughter. "You're like some impossible-to-please girlfriend. It's ridiculous."

He'd gone too far. Kaiba knew it once the words had escaped his lips, but looking at Jonouchi's eyes going dark, lips pulling back to reveal teeth, Kaiba couldn't find it in himself to care. All of his anger was ignited, burning white-hot until it transmuted into ice.

"I don't have to take this from you," Jonouchi snarled, stomping around Kaiba as he gathered his clothes from the floor and fiercely shoved them on. "You're being a massive prick. I'm leaving."

"Fine."

"You can go fuck yourself, Kaiba."

Slamming the door open, Jonouchi stormed down the hallway. Kaiba remained rooted in place until his heart had stopped hammering against his chest. Now it just hurt when he breathed. Rushing over to the doorway, Kaiba caught a glance of Jonouchi just as he turned the corner towards the staircase. He didn't realize the door just down the hall was open until his attention was broken by a voice.

Mokuba was standing just inside his bedroom, rubbing sleepily at his eyes. "Nii-sama, what's going on? Was that Jonou-"

"Drop it," Kaiba snapped.

Mokuba's eyebrows drew together, "Just tell me-"

"I said. Drop. It."

Making a face, Mokuba quickly shut his door, the noise resounding through the now-empty hallway. Sighing in exasperation, Kaiba turned heel and smacked his door closed. He sat down heavily on his bed, his head in his hands. He clenched them against his scalp, already feeling the headache ready to strike. The mattress was still warm from where Jonouchi had lain.

Fuck. Why did Jonouchi have to be a damn drama queen about everything? They could never have an adult conversation over things that meant anything - Jonouchi always flew at the first opportunity. And while Kaiba admitted that his delivery could have used some finesse, he'd been so frustrated that everything just spilled out unfiltered.

He was _not_ apologizing.

The day went by surprisingly quick. There was meeting on top of meeting to take care of, and Kaiba found himself sucked in by his different department heads well until noon hit. Lunch had been so fast, Kaiba hardly remembered eating anything at all. It was only by the good graces of Eguchi that he had anything to eat: a standard bento box bought from the downstairs cafeteria that most of the staff frequented.

There was just too much to worry about to think about Jonouchi and their fight early that morning. Although Kaiba didn't want to admit to it, he had been way out of line waking up Jonouchi to conflict first thing in the morning, but it had felt good at the time. It was a release. After holding so much in the entire night before, Kaiba had to say something or explode.

Better to make a bad decision in his personal life than cause a scene during his professional one. He could always patch things up with Jonouchi once the initial anger had dissipated; overly-sensitive businessmen were a different story.

Jonouchi would get over it. He always did. The guy was pretty good at bouncing back; he had for years. They'd been feuding since the day they met, and Kaiba didn't think that would change much anytime soon. Now that the awkward fluttery feeling in his gut had finally passed, he could see things more clearly and decided to just call Jonouchi's bluff.

He could get mad if he wanted to. Kaiba didn't care.

It just came as a surprise when he still didn't get any kind of message or phone call once working hours had finished. Sitting alone in his executive office, Kaiba tried not to think anything of it. Jonouchi was probably fuming in his office, trying to decide what he wanted to do. Most likely, he'd relent and end up coming home with Kaiba.

Like he always did.

But an hour went by, and then another hour. Isono was the only person left on the floor with Kaiba, and after listening to the same sounds of his fingers hitting the keys of his computer non-stop, Kaiba paused before speaking, "Did Jonouchi come into work today?"

"No, sir."

"Why the hell not?"

"Jonouchi-sama took emergency leave for the entire week, Seto-sama."

Emergency leave? There was nothing urgent going on in his life, as far as Kaiba was aware. It sounded like a shit excuse to not come to work for a week and hide from him.

"Did he say what the emergency was?"

"His sister, sir," answered Isono.

"His sister..."

There was nothing wrong with Jonouchi's sister. Snorting, Kaiba rolled his eyes, subjecting himself to another forty minutes of number crunching before his phone started to vibrate. Picking it up, Kaiba inspecting the screen before sighing, dragging the password across and reading the message.

Someone had opened his suite at the Kaiba Hotel. Mokuba had used to be the one to abuse his privileges, but he'd been staying at the mansion more frequently. Kaiba hardly allowed anyone in there, and only a handful of people had access. Himself, Mokuba, Isono, and Jonouchi.

_Jonouchi. _

The fool had nowhere to live. Kaiba would have let him come home; he wasn't vindictive enough to kick Jonouchi out, but it didn't matter. If Jonouchi wanted to continue being reliant on him but deny it when questioned, so be it. Kaiba prefered that to him being back at his old apartment in the ghetto.

It just burned that Jonouchi was using his personal hotel room just to avoid having to talk to him. What kind of shit was that? Using his money and property was okay, but Jonouchi was embarrassed about their relationship. It was okay to use Kaiba's things and benefit from their intimacy, but Jonouchi was going to act ashamed whenever it was brought up.

Kaiba was sick of it. He hadn't finished everything he'd hoped to accomplish that day, but he was too angry to function anymore.

"Isono, take me home."

The car ride back to the rich suburbs was quiet. Isono hardly ever spoke unless spoken to first, which wasn't surprising. Kaiba wasn't really that talkative, either. He didn't speak to staff members unless instructing them, but Isono was a little more to him than just another servant.

But still. Kaiba kept silent, staring at his phone as his eyes burned from watching his lack of text messages. He sat there watching for what seemed like hours before he suddenly got one, and quickly opening it, he slumped dejectedly when Mokuba's name popped up.

'_Don't work too hard. I bought a pizza.'_

Snorting, Kaiba rolled his eyes. He didn't even like pizza that much. Mokuba was probably trying to tempt him home, and just his luck, Kaiba planned on coming back at a more reasonable time of his own volition.

Kaiba was glad for it. Being alone all night was nearly insufferable now; he'd gotten too used to having company. If anything, Jonouchi made the bed seem less intimidating and they wasted a lot of time together not doing much at all.

Mokuba was pretty good at that too, though. Once Kaiba arrived home, he found himself sucked into a game of Halo as soon as he had changed out of his work clothes, pizza lying on the floor and Mokuba squealing joyously everytime he won a campaign. They went at it for a long time, trying out different games that Mokuba had before the kid finally passed out in a food coma on Kaiba's bed.

Throwing the pizza box in the trash, Kaiba got ready for bed and had the pleasure of picking up Mokuba and tucking him into bed. Mokuba was heavy now, especially while asleep, and after narrowing his eyes at Mokuba's cute sleeping face, Kaiba stretched out his arms and shoulders before taking the other side.

This wasn't so bad. Jonouchi could go have a tantrum if he wanted to.

Waking up, Kaiba grumbled and turned around, finding himself alone. He blinked for a second, wiping his eyes as he realized that Mokuba had stayed with him the night before. Rotating, Kaiba fell onto his stomach, face in the spare pillow before he lifted his head and rubbed his nose against the sheets.

There was the familiar faint smell of his brother on the linen, but even more distinctively was Jonouchi's. Unsettled, Kaiba immediately picked himself up, staring at the comforter before suddenly tossing it off the bed.

That was the last thing he wanted to think about. He'd have the staff change his sheets so he'd be spared the unpleasant memories in the near future.

On his nightstand sat his cell phone, taunting him. Kaiba glared at it, turning heel in a huff. He wasn't going to be reduced to some needy, clingy boyfriend who constantly checked him phone for messages. The notion was absurd.

Cleaning himself up and getting dressed quickly, Kaiba made his way downstairs, phone still abandoned in his room. If he was lucky, maybe Mokuba would actually be up for a change and they could have breakfast together before he went and ran off to do whatever seventeen-year-olds did with their time. They hadn't been able to spend a lot of time together lately, especially with Jonouchi in the picture, and after the fun distraction of the night before, Kaiba realized he missed it. He'd had to haul Mokuba to bed after, but it made him feel like they were brothers again.

Entering the dining room, Kaiba was surprised to see Mokuba actually awake while it was still considered "morning," although he was still clad in pajamas. As usual when Mokuba was around, the table was littered with food, and Mokuba already had a large plate piled high when Kaiba approached the table. "This is a rare sight - you're up early," Kaiba noted, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"I was hungry."

"Even after all that pizza? You ate nearly the entire pie. I don't even know where it goes," Kaiba teased.

"If I ever hope to get tall enough that you'll have to look up at me for once in my life," said Mokuba in a joking manner, "then I need to eat everything. Food will make me taller. It's been proven by science."

"Of course. Science," Kaiba smiled, "Are you sure that's not just your third stomach talking?"

"Oh stop it, Nii-sama, I'm not some cow."

There was a plate full of fried rice that Mokuba was tearing into, alongside a bowl of steaming miso soup, grilled salmon, and a bowl of fruit. The servants had put out many more dishes, but Kaiba couldn't possibly expect Mokuba to finish everything in front of him. He never ate so much food, even as a teenager.

Watching Mokuba hum happily to himself as he dug into his food made Kaiba suddenly feel horrible. Seeing him acting so childlike reminded him that they weren't only brothers, but that he'd raised the kid for twelve years.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you yesterday."

"I don't hold grudges, Nii-sama," laughed Mokuba as he continued eating his rice happily, "not like you do. I don't have that family trait."

"That's a relief," Kaiba said as he debated over what to eat. There were too many options. "I may look like Mom, but you got her personality."

"Oh?" Mokuba paused before blinking his eyes and his face spread into a smile. "You never talk about her."

"You're right," Kaiba agreed, "Sometimes it's easy to forget the life we had before." Well, not necessarily _easy_, but it made things easier to accept if he didn't think about the life they could have had. Should have had.

"Well," Mokuba probed, pulling up a seat for his brother before rolling his eyes and sighing, "tell me about her!"

Sitting down and pulling up a plate, Kaiba spooned some fruit onto it as he thought. "She was always very carefree and optimistic. With a bit of a streak of mischief, not unlike someone I know," Kaiba eyed his brother with a grin. "She loved art and music and used to sing around the house. I think that was her true passion, but she only remained a patron. She used to serve on some local arts boards, though."

"Why, because she had you?"

"Probably," Kaiba replied as he speared a blueberry with his fork, "She was always with me. I didn't realize at the time, but she must have given up her career when she became a mother. Dad was gone most of the time, but Mom was always there."

"I remember that," Mokuba remarked, "he was gone a lot. But I guess most dads are like that, so it must not have been because of us, right?"

"Dad played the single father role for a while. It must have been hard on him."

"Oh..."

Mokuba had gone very still. "Hey, I didn't mean it like that," Kaiba said gently. "Dad worked so much to support us, so that Mom's death wouldn't affect us so badly. He didn't hate us."

"Yeah, I know," sighed Mokuba, "but I remember him being gone a lot. We always had that nanny around watching us. She was nice, but it would have been better having dad around."

After that, Mokuba went silent again. He was shoveling food into his mouth, eyes downcast towards his plate.

Kaiba sighed, setting down his fork. "I guess while I'm at it, I might as well come clean. That _was_ Jonouchi yesterday morning."

"Yeah, I wasn't born yesterday, Nii-sama."

Mokuba smirked a little as he turned to drink his soup from the bowl.

"Sometimes I feel like he was…" Kaiba mumbled underneath his breath, drawing a curious look from Mokuba. He picked up his fork again and flicked the fruit around his plate.

Mokuba frowned. "First of all, Nii-sama, you knew Jonouchi was a high strung person, so you shouldn't be surprised by his outbursts. Second, I thought we had an unspoken agreement that you wouldn't parade your boyfriends around and I wouldn't ask about them. Now we're having a talk about Jonouchi? That's just bizarre."

Kaiba mirrored Mokuba's frown, his attention focused on mutilating the mix of berries and sliced bananas on his plate. "Jonouchi is different. It's serious. Or at least I thought it was, I don't even fucking know…"

"What exactly does 'serious' even mean?"

"It means I want him around for a long time. A very long time," Kaiba said, finally meeting Mokuba's gaze. "I thought you should know."

"Not really," snorted Mokuba. He laughed before stuffing an apple in his face, crutching away before finally swallowing. "I didn't think you'd ever like anyone enough to say something like that, Nii-sama. Besides, you two never got along well and from the looks of things, not much has changed. Jonouchi looked upset, when he stormed off. If I were you, I'd be happy that he was spending time with me in the first place, after all the crap you up him through in high school."

Mokuba grinned that impish little grin of his before taking another bite from his apple.

"What did you say to set him off?"

Kaiba could feel his frown grow deeper, his jaw tensing. "Mokuba, I'm not _incapable_ of feeling affection for someone. And why do you automatically assume it was _my_ fault? Jonouchi and I fought in high school, but _he _instigated more than half of those fights."

"Because your mean streak is far greater than his is," replied Mokuba easily, "and besides that, you're bossy. Jonouchi's not."

"Because I have opinions that are right, that makes me the bad guy? I make decisions and stick by them; Jonouchi could use some of that same ethic," Kaiba retorted sourly.

"Maybe right by you, but why would you think a guy like Jonouchi would appreciate you pushing him around like that? He's not an effeminate guy, Nii-sama. I didn't think he even went that way until the day I found you two in the entertainment room playing video games together," Mokuba recalled, "and I'm pretty sure he's far less- _experienced_\- than you are. Maybe your opinions aren't right this time.

"It does happen sometimes."

Even though he was scowling, Kaiba couldn't help but admire his brother's observational skills. Smart damn brat. "Rarely, if ever," Kaiba muttered. "Jonouchi needs someone to push him around. He has no damn direction in his life, and he's always wavering on something. He creates a mess for himself and expects me to clean it up but then resents me afterward, even though I was right all along."

"Jonouchi's not that much older than me, so I don't know why you are expecting so much out of him," chuckled Mokuba before he grabbed a strawberry and popped it into his mouth. "Besides, I'm a hundred percent sure Jonouchi is capable of cleaning up his own messes since he did live in the crappy side of town for years, and here you are just doing stuff for him without asking and expecting his gratitude for your help, right? He's not going to praise you for being patronizing, Nii-sama. He's not looking for a white knight.

"If that's what you want out of him, maybe you should start seeing someone else," laughed Mokuba.

Kaiba felt his stomach bottom out. See someone else? Go through all that bullshit again? Never. Not like anyone could ever compare. "Yeah, that crappy side of town that got him put into a hospital. And who was the one to help him out then? You weren't there, Mokuba - you can't call someone helping another person out patronizing. I care about him; is that so villainizing?" A slice of banana was laid waste, crushed underneath the back of Kaiba's fork. "And we're only three months apart in age, so explain that," he huffed.

"Nii-sama," Mokuba sighed very loudly before shaking his head, "you have the maturity of a person twice your age and the sense of a kid sometimes...

"If Jonouchi hasn't asked for your help those other times after, then you shouldn't force it on him. Do you remember why I left to California?"

"You never really told me; you just up and left." Much like the subject of their conversation. But Kaiba could vividly remember the sleepless nights. The constant worry. It was how Jonouchi came back into Kaiba's life in the first place.

"You were driving me crazy!" Mokuba blurted it out rather loudly, enough that Kaiba jumped a little in his seat. "You're probably driving Jonouchi nuts, too. Even if you are right, sometimes you just need to keep your perfect opinions to yourself and let Jonouchi figure shit out himself. Or else he'll never get better.

"You wouldn't let me grow up, so I left so I could. It was a great experience," Mokuba grinned.

"Oh? You'll have to tell me all about it," Kaiba muttered. "I can't help it - it's who I am. But even when I'm trying to be considerate, he could care less. You say I'm probably driving him crazy, but the same could go for me!"

"So? Be the bigger guy, then."

Kaiba sighed heavily, pushing his plate away and rising to stand. "I've got to get to work. I'll see you tonight."

"Glad I could help!"

Rolling his eyes, Kaiba marched back upstairs to collect his briefcase and suit jacket. He stared at his phone for a long time, finally pocketing it before he left. He wouldn't be the first to call or send a message, but at least he could monitor Jonouchi's movements somewhat with it.

"_Be the bigger guy_"? Wasn't that what he'd _been _doing? He'd tolerated so much of Jonouchi's crap - his constant indecision and starting and stalling - was it really so terrible to demand some answers? Why was he always made out to be the bad guy?

The question stayed with him through the morning, picking at his attention. Kaiba felt so irritated that he'd had Eguchi send proxies to his meetings - he couldn't be bothered to deal with other people at the moment, listening to them drone on about things he didn't have the patience to focus on. Instead Kaiba fixed himself behind his computer, parsing through lines of code from the R&amp;D team's latest program iteration. It was menial, mindless work, but at least he was being productive and not terrorizing half of his company.

It was just before noon when his cell phone jerked to life, buzzing across his desk. Kaiba felt a jolt spring from his stomach and radiate up through his chest, hating himself a little for it. He quickly snatched his phone up, punching in his code and scrolling to the alert.

Jonouchi had checked out of the hotel.

Kaiba's first instinct was to think it was a strange action, given Jonouchi really didn't have a place to go, but he brushed the feeling aside. Perhaps Jonouchi only did it as a formality. Maybe he was back on the apartment hunt, optimistic that he would find something that day. It was unlikely, but Kaiba knew that Jonouchi tended to act on impulse, and given their recent fight, he was probably even more motivated to find a place of his own.

Whatever. Jonouchi could do what he wanted with his paycheck. But until then, Kaiba was certain Jonouchi would continue to freeload at the hotel, taking advantage of something he didn't even have permission to have. There wasn't a doubt in Kaiba's head that Jonouchi wouldn't return to the suite that night.

Only night came, and he hadn't.

Kaiba hadn't received any alerts that his suite was in use, and accessing the security cameras in the room revealed that it was indeed empty. It was a little perturbing, but it wasn't cause for alarm just yet - the idiot could've merely gotten drunk at a friend's place and crashed there for the night. Kaiba knew it wouldn't have been the first time for Jonouchi.

But then Wednesday passed, as did Thursday, and then it became truly worrying. There hadn't been any communication since their fight at the beginning of the week, and Jonouchi hadn't returned. He could be anywhere. Couch surfing like a vagrant. Lying in a ditch somewhere, dead. He could've up and left like his father before him.

A hundred different threads of events wove through Kaiba's brain, knotting and tangling until it was hard to think straight. He wasn't sleeping any better, either, and the initial uncertainty began to grow into fear and then panic, festering until it started to change back into anger.

How dare Jonouchi just leave like that, make him worry to the point where it became hard to think of anything else? Kaiba knew he could just cave first and extend the proverbial olive branch, but he wasn't in the wrong. Jonouchi was just trying to punish him, and it was working.

Kaiba felt as though he was being pulled from all directions, and if something didn't give soon, he would snap. He was pent up with frustration, worry, and anger, and that's how he found himself beating off in the shower like a teenager the next morning. It only helped so much, and after the initial rush, Kaiba felt even worse than he had before.

What the hell was wrong with him?

At least he hadn't gotten a stupid nosebleed, though. Kaiba had rubbed his knuckles against his nostrils to check, and for once, there was no tell-tale trickle of blood falling down onto his lip.

Still. The humiliation stayed with him for the rest of the day.

Mokuba was gone at night, too, which made the loneliness worse. Coming home from work and finding no one to spend time with was like insult to injury, and Kaiba wanted to tear his hair out for becoming so attached that he just locked himself in his office, his eyes going back and forth between the computer and his cell phone.

There was no call, though. No change. It continued like that for what seemed like days, until finally, returning from a late business dinner that Sunday night, Kaiba checked his phone to find that the hotel had been checked into.

His first reaction was to drive right there and grab Jonouchi before he could disappear again, demanding where he'd gone and why he hadn't said anything for so long. Common sense told him that would land him a punch in the mouth, and logic dictated that nothing good would come of it. If Jonouchi hadn't bothered communicating with him, why should Kaiba? Was he really so broken that he couldn't last a week without caving in?

He didn't want to answer that question. Wandering into the kitchen and finding an unopened bottle of sake, Kaiba began drinking, his eyes burning as he stared out into space until his anger became too much to contain.

Three small glasses later, he found himself in the back of his limousine, staring out into the darkness of the suburbs as Isono drove him towards the city. He could make out the faint glow of Domino City at night, the familiar skyline welcoming as the landmark KC symbol stood alone as the city's beacon.

It wouldn't take long to get there. Most people didn't drive into Domino at night, and the trains stopped running around midnight. Checking his watch, Kaiba had to blink before he could read it clearly. _2311\. _There was no way Jonouchi would have left the hotel room, so late at night. Kaiba would finally be able to get some damn answers.

After waving Isono off, Kaiba found himself standing in front of the door to his suite. He didn't remember the elevator ride up, which was particularly disturbing, but he was there, standing like an idiot in front of his own door. He pawed at the lock with his key card until it clicked open, stumbled inside, then kicked the door closed, not worrying about how loud he was being. Fuck them. It was his hotel.

The solitary light of one lamp illuminated the main room, and Kaiba had to squint past his mild inebriation to see across the dimness. An assortment of beer cans and cheap sake bottles formed a tiny cityscape on the coffee table, others lying abandoned on the floor. The smell of the combination hit Kaiba almost like an afterthought, rushing across his senses and gifting him with a brief moment of vertigo. His eyes refocused, and he carefully scanned the room: couch cushions and pillows lie askew on the floor, a side chair upturned. It looked and smelled like something from a high school house party.

Feeling his body grow hot, Kaiba peeled off his overcoat, tossing it to the floor. He stomped his way over to the dark corner of the bedroom mostly on muscle memory, flicking the lights on and instantly regretting it as his eye adjusted painfully to the change.

The bedroom was even worse. More bottles and cans of alcohol sat like a moat near the side of the bed. The bed itself was a rumpled mountain of comforter and sheets, Jonouchi sprawled somewhere in the middle of it. Kaiba could make out a foot, a leg, an elbow, and a tuft of blond hair peeking out from the folded rivets.

Kaiba stepped forward and nearly lost his balance, his foot sliding against something slick and crinkly. He managed to catch himself in time, bracing against the doorway, and Kaiba irritably snatched up the offending object and held it close to his face for inspection.

He was greeted by breasts. Bare, large ones, courtesy of a smiling, skimpily-clothed girl in a centerfold. Scowling, Kaiba crumpled the magazine in his hands, tossing it over his shoulder. Now that his eyes had adjusted, he could see a variety of similar magazine strewn everywhere - naked girls in raunchy and titillating positions and with come-hither expressions - littering the floor and the bed. Edging closer, Kaiba discovered one laying across Jonouchi's shoulder, as though he'd been eyeing it up until the moment he'd passed out.

It pissed him off beyond belief. What, did Jonouchi really think some porno rags could be the cure that would make him completely straight again? It was more than offensive, it was just - utterly _ridiculous_.

Plucking the magazine up and chucking it across the room, Kaiba batted some of the bedding down, climbing across it until he was leaning down next to Jonouchi. He stared at him for a moment - clad only in boxers riding dangerously low on his hips, reeking of alcohol, and snoring up a storm like some kind of fabled monster - and then took hold of Jonouchi's shoulder and shook hard.

"Wake the fuck up."

Jonouchi blinked, rolling onto his stomach before grabbing a pillow and tightly covering his head with it.

"Go away."

"The fuck I will. This is _my room_. Now get up." He shook again, harder this time.

Jonouchi didn't budge. His grip was tight and his arms were flexed, the muscles constricted as his fingers dug into the pillow.

"I am way too drunk to deal with you," Jonouchi grumbled against the mattress, "stop being a giant dick for once."

"Not my problem," Kaiba retorted, reaching over to tug at the pillow. It took a couple of tries, but eventually Jonouchi's grip gave out, and the case of feathers went sailing across the bed. "Stop acting like a fucking _child_."

Jonouchi suddenly sprung up, trying to jump out of the bed. Kaiba was quick, grabbing his arm and pulling him hard enough to shove him back into the mattress.

"What is your damn problem?" demanded Jonouchi as he reached forward and shoved at Kaiba's chest before throwing a dirty rag towards his face, "Why can't you be a fucking normal person and just fuck off when you see that I don't want nothing to do with you? Don't want me here? Fine, I'll fucking crash at Honda's place..."

"Cut the fucking crap, Jonouchi. If you didn't want anything to do with me, you wouldn't have retreated here to lick your wounds, of all fucking places."

"Okay fine. I'm leaving."

"Like you always do? Not this time." Kaiba shoved at Jonouchi again, rotating to sit heavily on his legs and pin him in place. "We need to talk."

Narrowing his eyes, Jonouchi tried lifting up his knee to jab Kaiba in the groin, but the pressure was too much and he just squirmed instead, huffing angrily. Turning his head away, he focused towards the door out of the room, his eyes burning and body tensing up like he was ready to spring up at any moment.

It felt like rejection, scorching deep in Kaiba's chest. Nearly a week had gone by, and Jonouchi didn't even want to look at him. The feeling rose and constricted Kaiba's throat, taking residence. "I truly don't get you. Am I so abhorrent to you that you can't even stomach to face me?"

Jonouchi didn't answer but his eyes flickered for a moment before he slowly turned to shake his head no. But he wouldn't speak and that indignant look on his face remained.

Kaiba leaned forward, bracing a hand on either side of Jonouchi's head. Jonouchi's reactions _stung_, and it incensed him that he was allowing himself to become so torn up over it. "What do you want from me, Jonouchi? I feel like I could give you the fucking world, and it would never be enough."

"I want you to leave me alone," muttered Jonouchi under his breath. He paused for a moment, sighing deeply before he actually turned his face to look Kaiba in the eyes. "I want you to stop trying to tell me how I should feel. How about that? It would be nice if you'd fucking get off my back for once and stop guilt tripping me because I need more time to think things through and you just want to bulldoze me every chance you get. I'm sick of it."

"Well forgive me for assuming the truth about something you're too afraid to admit," Kaiba replied acidly. "It's a little too late to 'think things through.' We're already in a relationship, one that I'll remind you was _your_ idea."

"But you don't fucking own me, Kaiba," spat Jonouchi back, "I'm not your fucking wife, and you can go fuck yourself if you think you can order me around like one just because we see each other."

Kaiba couldn't help the tiny bubble of dark laughter that escaped his lips, his fingertips pressing deeper into the mattress. "Wife? Don't you fucking wish. It would be easier, wouldn't it, because you wouldn't have to fret over something so stupid. Did you really think that staring at tits all day would fix you?"

"I'm not fucking gay," Jonouchi said as his voice constricted a little against his will, "and if it's not such a big deal, how about you turn around and try taking it for once, hmm? Put your money where your mouth is."

"I'm not the one in denial," Kaiba taunted, "I don't need to prove anything."

"But you wouldn't do it. Not even for me, so don't talk like you fucking would, because you wouldn't."

"Why's it such a big fucking deal? It's sex, and obviously you get off on it, so what's your fucking problem?"

There was no answer. Jonouchi shut down again, turning his head sharply away before breathing in and out quickly through his nose. His eyebrows were furrowing, neck tense as a vein began to rise against his skin, and Jonouchi kept his mouth shut, unmoving.

Sitting back on his knees, Kaiba pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes and silently screamed in his head. Jonouchi's constant rejection made him feel lonelier than ever, even though they were in the same room, the warmth of Jonouchi's flushed skin radiating underneath him.

"Where did you go?"

"To see my sister, you control freak."

"You could have said something. God, does disappearing run in the Jonouchi _genes_? Do you know how worr-" Kaiba cut himself off, not wanting to admit it to Jonouchi. Not like he would appreciate it, anyway.

"You know what? You're right. I _am_ a control freak. Because I'm right. And things would be a hell of a lot easier once you realized that and stopped being so goddamn stubborn. Stop denying who and what you are. Just get over it, already. You can't change it, and it's not a big fucking deal like you're making it out to be."

Jonouchi shook his head though, trying to turn onto his side. He reached for the pillow again before Kaiba batted it out of his hands and frustrated, Jonouchi ended up shoving at Kaiba's chest again angrily.

"So you think because you're always right that means you can just override everything like I'm one of your lackeys?" questioned Jonouchi as his eyes started to tear up, "Do you even like me, or are you just looking for someone else to control? You just want to see how far you can push before I'll break, because that's what you get off on. That's all you fucking care about. Keeping me under you any fucking way possible, because everything always has to be your damn way. Fuck everyone else's feelings."

"Are you fucking kidding me, Jonouchi?" Kaiba yelled, "If you really believe that, then you're delusional. Have you even been paying attention at all these past few months?"

"I'm not talking to you anymore," said Jonouchi as his voice broke, "I'm done. I'm going to Honda's place, I don't need to take this shit from you. Don't want me here, fine, even though I'm fucking sure you were relieved when I came back to this place..."

"You _wanted _to come back, so don't act like I'm the only one benefitting here."

"I had to come back because I had no place else to go," shouted Jonouchi angrily, "but you wanted it that way. I bet you can't even function without knowing where I am every second of the day, and that's why you showed up now of all times. You are pathetic, Kaiba. You used to be indifferent to everything, but now you're fucking housebroken. You just leech off of everyone, and it's a miracle that Mokuba ever came back to you."

Kaiba gnashed his teeth, angry at himself for how everything was spiraling downwards, but unable to stop himself. His heart was rattling in his chest, his vision becoming spotted. He bore down onto Jonouchi, his hands gripping the other's biceps hard, and glared. "Don't make me laugh. No place else to go? You had _options_, and you chose _here_, so what does that say about you? You must _enjoy_ being under me, or else you never would have come back. You have no right to act all mighty and call _me_ housebroken, when you can't even be honest with yourself."

"Fine. Let me go and I'll leave right now," challenged Jonouchi as he grabbed Kaiba's hands and squeezed hard, digging his nails into Kaiba's fair skin, "You say you don't think I would, but you won't let me go, either. And you never fucking will. You're _afraid_."

It felt like someone had knocked the wind out of him. Kaiba couldn't even register the pain in his wrists, the moment just seemed to freeze as his eyes locked with Jonouchi's. They stayed like that, unmoving like statues, neither willing to yield. And then Kaiba felt a shattering, and he spoke.

"Everyone called me the cold one, but your heart must be made of ice." He allowed his arms to buckle, and he collapsed against Jonouchi, sighing deeply against his neck in frustration. Jonouchi had called his bluff, and the resulting feeling was agonizing. Why was Kaiba the only one feeling this way?

Being so close only intensified Kaiba's loneliness. He'd missed Jonouchi the entire week he was gone, almost worrying himself sick over his whereabouts. It was pathetic to admit, but it was true. But he cared about Jonouchi, after all, so wasn't that normal? He couldn't have been the only one to have suffered. If Jonouchi cared about him even a little bit, shouldn't he be sad, too?

"Didn't you miss me at all?" Kaiba asked quietly. He waited, motionlessly, for a response that never came.

Instead, his answer came in the form of a sudden wetness against his face. Lifting up, Kaiba could see the thin trail across Jonouchi's cheek from where a tear had slid down. Jonouchi's entire face was tight, his eyes glassy from unshed tears.

"I don't want to talk about it."

Jonouchi's voice was barely audible. His lip trembled before he tried hiding his face again.

Slumping down onto Jonouchi again, Kaiba didn't know what to do. He felt miserable, but that one tear had birthed a tiny seed of hope. Jonouchi wasn't heartless, so maybe they weren't doomed after all, but still he refused to let Kaiba in. The isolation tore at him, because there was no way to fix it, and so Kaiba gave in, allowing instinct to take over.

He pressed his lips into the crook of Jonouchi's neck, savoring the familiar softness. Kaiba just wanted to feel something - anything - other than the emptiness that threatened to consume him. Even the anger was preferable, but he'd run completely out. Jonouchi tried smacking at Kaiba's shoulders to get him to stop, but Kaiba caught one of the hands in his, his free hand grazing down to press against Jonouchi's side.

Kaiba shifted his weight, his ministrations becoming more intentional as he nipped and sucked along the line of Jonouchi's jaw, traveling upward until he coaxed Jonouchi into a kiss that was barely reciprocated. He could feel Jonouchi's body shuddering underneath him, his breathing becoming faster as Kaiba tried to elicit some kind of verbal response from him.

Whenever his hand fell on Jonouchi's stomach, he could feel his muscles tremble under his touch. It was a strange feeling, and Kaiba knew for sure that Jonouchi was feeling something, no matter what he tried or didn't try to say. He was holding it in, out of stubbornness, and Kaiba was too desperate for any kind of receptive signal to be mad over it.

Moving so he was looking down at Jonouchi, Kaiba met his eyes, holding the side of his face when he tried looking away. Jonouchi's eyes were focused elsewhere, tears still trapped in the ducts, and Kaiba bent down, touching Jonouchi's lips before trying to use his thumb to persuade him into opening his mouth.

He stubbornly refused, and feeling anxious, Kaiba planted his other hand firmly on the man's hip, becoming more aggressive in his approach until finally, Jonouchi gasped and opened his mouth, his bottom lip quivering as Kaiba tugged it with his teeth. Brown eyes flashed as Kaiba pulled away, and unable to stop himself, he bore down on Jonouchi, lips crushing hard into each other before he found himself near out of breath.

Jonouchi no longer tried forcing him off. He seemed anxious, his body shuddering before his shoulders would hunch up and his heart seemed to beat faster and faster. Sliding a hand down from his hip to his inner thigh, Kaiba started to stroke him gently, touching the soft skin and hair until Jonouchi finally relaxed and he pressed against him, their groins meeting and Kaiba's growing erection rubbing through the tight material of his leather pants.

Kaiba felt so warm. His body was on fire again, and just like the first time, he felt that unshakable urge to have Jonouchi again. It overcame Kaiba like a tidal wave, knocking against him before the feeling became so intense, he couldn't stop himself from rushing. He kissed Jonouchi so hard, Kaiba was nearly afraid of bruising him, and while Jonouchi didn't try pushing him off, he gasped a few times in obvious discomfort.

Thankfully, Jonouchi wasn't wearing much in the way of clothes. Kaiba could feel just about all of him, and it was only his own that were separating the two. The urgent need to take them off quickly came over him, and picking himself up suddenly, Kaiba looked down as he hastily threw off his shirt and pulled his belt off, Jonouchi watching him in a mix drunken haze. His brown eyes looked unable to focus, slowly looking over Kaiba's body before meeting his face, and he just stood there watching as Kaiba struggled through getting his pants off. The leather was tight, and once it came off completely, Kaiba stripped them both down completely before laying back down again, fitting between Jonouchi's thighs before grabbing his hip and rolling his groin against him. Jonouchi let out a low moan, and becoming more encouraged, Kaiba continued harder and faster, feeling the bulge growing until it was pressing hard against him and he didn't feel nearly so self-conscious about what they were doing.

Jonouchi lazily threw his hands over Kaiba's neck, tangling his hands into his hair. Kaiba didn't even care that his face was turned away as he continued to fill the room with abrupt cries; Kaiba could feel that he was wanted and that was enough. He wasn't alone and Jonouchi did want him. He needed him, just as much, even if he was too damn proud and stubborn to admit it.

But at the same time, Kaiba felt unsure. Jonouchi's breath stank of alcohol and whenever he kissed him, pressing his tongue into the man's mouth and tangling it with Jonouchi's, there was a sharp taste of vodka that sent Kaiba's nerve endings rushing down his spine in an abruptive jolt.

He was conflicted, and hungry, and so lonely. Jerking off to a shower could never compete, and against his better sense, he grabbed hold of Jonouchi's dick, pumping it a few times in his hand until Jonouchi was stiff and he could feel precum against his fingers.

That was enough. Pulling away, he scrambled to the bedside drawer, and he fumbled with grabbing the lubricant and pack of condoms he had stored there. Jonouchi's chest was sweaty, the bright sheen noticeable under the bedroom lights, and when he flipped over, Kaiba could feel his erection jerk excitedly. There were beads of sweat falling down the dip of Jonouchi's spine, and his shoulders rolled as he settled there, looking back with a gaze that made Kaiba fumble with the bottle.

He nearly dropped it before opening the cap. Was this really the same person who not an hour ago had pushed him away, insisting he wasn't gay? And now here he was, his ass hiked up in the air in an invitation.

It didn't matter. Kaiba was overtaken with sheer need, fevered for release and connection. He was less than careful. Jonouchi jumped at the intrusion, automatically uncomfortale, but Kaiba continued until Jonouchi became accustomed to him. He even started responding back to him, encouraging it, before Kaiba finally stopped.

He wouldn't be able to hold out for much longer. A green reflection caught at the corner of his eye: the foil wrappers of the condoms he'd taken out. Kaiba knew in his current state that attempting to put one on would be useless, and so he flicked the packets away, scattering like leaves to the floor. Taking hold of Jonouchi's hips, Kaiba pulled him back until Jonouchi right under him.

Right where he belonged.

It was staggering, and Jonouchi's moan was loud enough that Kaiba could hear it even though Jonouchi's face was pressed into the mattress. He felt a rush sweep up from his spine to his head, almost dizzying. Kaiba moved, another loud moan rumbling in Jonouchi's throat. It was addictive, and Kaiba wanted to hear it over and over, his heart swelling and his lips turning up into a feral grin. _He_ was the one doing this to Jonouchi. It was no secret that Jonouchi could work _him_ up into a mindless state, but Jonouchi wasn't any different. Every single sound Jonouchi made gave Kaiba a thrill unlike he'd ever experienced.

He could feel himself losing control, his hold on Jonouchi tight as he became relentless. The bedroom became a cacophony of sound, creaking and banging, panting and moaning, and Kaiba couldn't tell which were his or Jonouchi's. All he could focus on were the contracting muscles of Jonouchi's shoulders, the building inside him, and the pleasurable friction that shock up his spine. Eyes trailing up Jonouchi's back, Kaiba's gaze settled at their juncture, riveted at the sight of their joining.

Reality splintered, Kaiba's senses muted before they all exploded at once. He felt himself twitch and then release. Fingers digged hard into Jonouchi's hips. Kaiba felt himself poured out, his body shaking slightly before he got a grip on himself. Kaiba heard Jonouchi gasp through his haze, and then the moment was over.

It took a while for his breathing to return back to normal. Kaiba panted, watching below as Jonouchi collapsed onto the bed, withdrawing before digging his own hands into his hair. His face was covered by the pillow, and no longer on his knees, Jonouchi just laid there, so still, before Kaiba knelt besides him. He reached out to rub his back, but Jonouchi shuddered, pulling away so suddenly, Kaiba felt his heart jump before he saw the man nearly scramble over to the edge of the mattress, hiding under the covers before tightening into a ball.

Kaiba didn't know how to react. He blinked at first, completely shocked, before sighing. Getting up, he made a quick stop to the bathroom, cleaning up and washing his hands before returning and shutting off the lights.

Feeling dejected, he wasn't even sure if he should try saying something to Jonouchi. He got under the covers and laid there on his side, eyes staring at the lump that was Jonouchi's back for sometime before he made out what had to be a sob, one turning into two before the sound was continuous and Kaiba knew he wasn't just hearing things.

Carefully reaching out, Kaiba pressed a palm flat between Jonouchi's shoulder blades. They flinched and shook. "Jonouchi?" he whispered.

There was just abrupt sniffling. Jonouchi turned onto his stomach, hiding his face under his arm before the other hand grabbed at his hair again. There was a sound of an aggravated groan, but besides that, no answer.

Kaiba shifted closer, his fingers rubbing circles against Jonouchi's back. "Katsuya? Please talk to me."

"About what?" Jonouchi croaked, his voice completely constricted, "I'm a fucking loser. Goodnight."

A sinking feeling settled into Kaiba's bones, the post-elation rapidly wearing off. "Don't be like that. Why are you crying?"

"B-because I am," Jonouchi sobbed, his body trying to become small although he didn't have anywhere to go, "I can't stop. I don't want to talk about it."

His fingers stopped their movements, slipping down to Jonouchi's middle. Kaiba tried to wrap his arms around Jonouchi as much as he could manage, pulling the other closer to him before threading a hand in Jonouchi's hair. They stayed like that for a while, silent, Jonouchi shaking as Kaiba tried to soothe him.

"I do love you. You know that, right?"

Jonouchi just nodded his head up and down, still sniffing before wiping at his nose.

Kaiba held him tighter, softly stroking his hair until the sobs subsided and Jonouchi fell asleep. It would take Kaiba a long time after to follow him.

* * *

The original line, "I do love you. You know that, right?" came from the 2012 writing with SeptimaDesu.

:)


	26. Chapter 26

When Jonouchi finally woke up the next day, he felt raw. His eyes were puffy, and his lips felt bruised. It was all extremely disorienting. He felt like how he had the first time he'd woken up in Kaiba's bedroom, only they were in the hotel, the room stinking of beer and liquor. Scrunching his face in discomfort, Jonouchi only managed to lift himself by his elbow before putting a hand to his hair, collapsing back down and sighing loudly.

His shoulders hurt. Kaiba was laying heavily on his back, and Jonouchi could tell his backside felt funny. He didn't even have to guess at what had happened; he had been drunk, but not to the point of blacking out. Pillow still moist from tears the night before, Jonouchi frowned before laying his head on his arm and staring at the wall in front of him.

His movement must have wakened Kaiba, as he began to stir, retracting his arms from around Jonouchi. He turned onto his back, scooted up to rest against the headboard, and scrubbed at his eyes. Pulling his knees up, he held his head in his hands, his breathing very shallow and quiet.

"I'm sorry for last night."

"Yeah, me too," answered Jonouchi in a low voice.

Jonouchi was thankful for one thing, though. He didn't feel like throwing up, considering the amount of alcohol he'd put down the night before. Dehydration was gnawing at him, but he could ignore the desire to drink until he didn't feel so sore and exposed. Until then, he didn't feel like climbing out of the bed butt-naked just yet. Besides, he didn't even know where all his clothes were.

Kaiba inhaled deeply beside him, his face still obscured. "I...shouldn't have done that. I don't know why you were crying, but it was wrong of me."

"Why did you have to bring up the crying," sighed Jonouchi before he groaned internally. "It's not exactly my proudest moment."

"I don't like making you upset, Jonouchi."

"It wasn't entirely all your doing," admitted Jonouchi with another sigh. He dropped his head onto the pillow, covering his chin with his forearm. "I cry when I'm frustrated. Or relieved. Or feeling too much of everything at once. Your poor life choices can't take all the credit, Kaiba."

It was an embarrassing admission, but whatever. He'd have to make peace with it sometime. Jonouchi was a crier. No matter how many times his father yelled at him for it or his mother rolled his eyes at him, Jonouchi got swept away with his feelings and cried. At least his friends never said anything about it.

Kaiba finally peered out to steal a glance at Jonouchi, then quickly looked away. "Which was it, this time?"

"All of it."

Even though Jonouchi couldn't really see him, he could practically feel the frown spreading across Kaiba's face. "I can understand the first and the last reasons, but why relieved? Last night wasn't...one of our better moments."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I wasn't glad that you were back," Jonouchi said before brushing his hair back. "I would have prefered you not screaming in my face, but shit happens I guess. I'd just like that never to happen again. I already hate myself a little for last night, so yeah. We don't have to talk about it."

Shifting his legs flat, Kaiba crossed his arms in front of his chest, sliding minutely down the headboard. "I'd like to talk about it. How can we fix things if we keep everything to ourselves?"

"By not drinking before having a blowout," said Jonouchi under his breath before hiding his face deeper into his arm.

"Unless we both start drinking responsibly, that doesn't seem likely," Kaiba explained with a sigh, "so let's just try to work things out."

"You start, then."

There was a brief moment of silence. Kaiba had gone very still again, and Jonouchi could almost picture the cogs in his brain whirring and clicking as they worked.

"I know I can be controlling. It's the way I've always been. I've spent the past twelve years maneuvering ways to get Mokuba and myself to the place we are now. I was powerless for a long time, and I never wanted to feel that way again. However, I'll try better to respect your independence and not always undermine your desires. You're only my employee when you're on the clock, after all."

"You pointed out once before that I didn't have actual working hours, remember?" snorted Jonouchi as he rolled his eyes before adjusting himself on the mattress. "I'd like that, though. And I'll stop running away all the time, and I won't crash here anymore when I'm too mad and proud to face you."

Kaiba's arms dropped to the mattress, one hand stretching over to gently comb through Jonouchi's hair. "I wouldn't kick you out just because we had a fight. I really didn't even mind your coming here. It never felt good whenever you ran away; it made me worried not knowing what had happened, or if you were safe, or if you'd left me for good. So the next time you feel like running, just...tell me first. I'll give you space."

"You never have before."

"You always ran before I could, or even before I knew you needed it."

"Oh." Jonouchi went silent for a while, enjoying the tingling of his scalp as Kaiba's long fingers went through his hair before he closed his eyes and sighed once more, "Well, sorry about that."

He didn't know what to say about the rest. The one big looming question in his mind was what actually _happened_ last night. Jonouchi could remember, but his brain was fuzzy and he could feel a headache coming on. Between screaming in Kaiba's face and shoving him away with his arms and suddenly being caught in a lip lock to getting on his stomach, Jonouchi felt incredibly unsure about the whole thing.

He wasn't sure how to bring it up. Usually recalling sex was just embarrassing, for obvious reasons, but considering the way they'd done it...well, that was just humiliating. Jonouchi had done a lot of stupid things in the past, but this one took the cake. He wasn't sure how Kaiba could ever respect him again after not only caving in but actually just throwing his ass out there like some uke in an ero manga. Jonouchi wanted to slap himself a dozen times, but it was too late now, and in the moment, he'd enjoyed it. A lot.

That made the feelings even worse.

Why did Kaiba have to be the manly one between the two of them? It didn't make sense. He was the bitchy one, the romantic who fretted over Jonouchi's whereabouts and could seize him up for clothes with freakish accuracy, and dressed in outlandish outfits with more confidence than a teen pop star, yet... Jonouchi was the one taking it up in the ass. He didn't understand.

How the hell did he end up _that_ gay?

And Kaiba wasn't. How?

Swallowing, Jonouchi shifted his eyes, looking up at Kaiba before feeling the corners of his mouth twitch. "When did you realize you were into men instead of women?"

The hand in his hair paused before it continued its work. "I suppose in some ways, I've always known," Kaiba began. "They always seemed to grab my attention more, but I didn't really think about it. I didn't have the time to think about it. After dating that actress didn't work out, I just went with it. Followed my attraction, then never really looked back."

"Do you know why you prefer men?"

"No. I must be wired that way. It felt right, in ways it didn't feel with women. There was no use fighting it." When Jonouchi remained silent, Kaiba sighed. "The female body is beautiful, but it does nothing for me. I don't prefer its softness; I like the angles and hard muscles of the male form. You could show me the most desirable woman on the planet, but she would do nothing to excite me. It's nothing against them, but on a physical level, I don't respond to them."

"Huh... but you like to top," remarked Jonouchi as he looked away from Kaiba and felt his face scrunch up again, "I don't understand much of any of it at all."

"Yes," Kaiba replied, "it's what felt natural. I don't think you need to understand it; realization is enough. And then accepting it, because it's something you have no control over."

"That's easy for you to say," said Jonouchi as he rolled around and folded his arms over his chin before resting it there. He also kicked the blankets free from his legs before crossing them over each other. "You don't end up with a butt full of cum and feeling like a silly girl afterwards. You haven't lost your man card."

Kaiba rolled his eyes, pulling the covers farther up his stomach. "It doesn't make you less of a man to take the bottom position during sex. If it feels good to you, then who cares? But if you're really that bothered by it, I can make a better effort to use condoms."

"Yeah, or next time maybe I really should make you stop."

Kaiba said nothing, drawing his legs close and crossing them underneath the sheets. He sat pondering for a few minutes before he spoke again. "I really am sorry. Last night shouldn't have ended like that. I don't know what I was thinking. I wasn't thinking."

"Then what exactly were you doing?" asked Jonouchi. It was bizarre. One moment he'd passed out in a drunked-induced coma from failing to get a hard on from looking at dirty magazines and he had angrily tossed them around the room before falling under the sheets and then he woke up to Kaiba shaking him by the shoulders, yelling at him to wake up. Jonouchi knew Kaiba would show up eventually, but he didn't count on it happening in just one week.

A part of him was thankful he had, but that faded away when the fight began to escalate.

Kaiba wasn't looking at him, instead staring out at the sunlight pouring through the windows. It reflected through his hair, making it look as though his head was on fire. "I hadn't heard from you in almost a week. I didn't know where you'd gone. And then you came back and wouldn't even look at me. I just felt so alone, like you hadn't been affected at all."

"So what, you thought pushing sex would be a great way of resolving things?" Jonouchi shook his head before stilling again, looking down where the sheets gathered around Kaiba's stomach before trying to fix his messy hair with both his hands. "I'm over it now. Just- promise not to do it again."

"It wasn't my brightest moment," Kaiba muttered, "There won't be a repeat."

"What happened to you being a genius," teased Jonouchi lightly as he began cracking a small smile, "was everyone just lying about that?"

Turning around to face Jonouchi, Kaiba returned a small smile of his own. "I fear I've been infected by your impulsiveness. I'll need to search for a cure."

Jonouchi snorted loudly before shoving his hands out and pushing Kaiba's hip away from him, "Okay, that's enough gay talk, now go away already. I'm tired and you have that business of yours to run, remember?"

"No rest for the weary," Kaiba agreed. He rolled out of bed, making his way towards the bathroom. "You can stay here, if you'd like. Or I can drop you off wherever before I go into the office."

Jonouchi pondered it for a while. He didn't want to go to Kaiba Corporation. No doubt, he'd be walking funny for a little bit of the morning until the muscle soreness went away, and he didn't want to be looked at funny by his co-workers. At least the staff at the Kaiba Mansion was discreet and minded their own damn business.

Besides, there was enough work related crap hiding in Kaiba's downstairs laboratory and he could practice with the duel simulator if Jonouchi needed to find something of use to do. There was also a computer, and if he needed to check his email, he doubted Kaiba would keep him from using it.

"I think I'd prefer going to your place," said Jonouchi as he pulled himself up and tried looking for his boxers under the sheets, "I don't want to go back to work hangover and walking funny."

Kaiba paused by the door frame, his eyebrows raising fractionally before it settled back into its usual expression. "Your fans would be scandalized," he snorted.

"Being seen coming out of your car alongside you, yeah, I'm sure they would," pointed out Jonouchi before he laughed out loud, "and your employees would be wondering what kind of bonus I'm looking at with envy. Let's avoid that from happening now."

Finding his boxers, Jonouchi expertly brought them through his legs and over his hips before he got out of the bed, throwing his legs over the side and cutting off Kaiba before he could shut the bathroom door. He drank more water than he ever had in a long time before stopping, washing his face to make the puffiness go down. It only helped a little bit, but it would probably all go away by noon.

Sneaking past Jonouchi, Kaiba scurried into the shower, steam quickly rising from over the partition. "Let's avoid me being late today," he called out, "Your chauffeur service leaves in thirty."

Jonouchi had spent a great deal of time beta testing a new Kaiba Corporation-endorsed video game, checking for bugs and glitches as Mokuba watched from the couch. The kid had just randomly appeared at one point in the day, taking a spot on the couch as Jonouchi silently continued playing on the floor, only breaking his silence to curse at random before tuning back out into lala world.

It was one of the better responsibilities Jonouchi had as a professional Duelist. Beta testing was usually pretty fun. Not having to deal with being pestered continually by the techs was even better, since he wasn't at Kaiba Corporation playing, and he could eat as much of Kaiba's junk food as he wanted.

It was just unnerving having the younger Kaiba watching, who was a gaming genius in his own right. Jonouchi hadn't forgotten high school, or the fact that the kid had tried to poison him once. That was also unsettling, but it appeared like Mokuba had matured since then.

After several hours of quiet, Jonouchi finally paused the game, turning back to look at Mokuba before making a face.

"Why are you watching? Don't you have something better to do?" he asked before sighing and hunching his shoulders.

"Not really."

"What happened to school?" asked Jonouchi.

"I'm skipping."

"Skipping?" Jonouchi couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Won't you get in trouble?"

"I'm Kaiba Mokuba, so no. Besides, I still turn in my homework and pass all my classes without having to really try. They aren't teaching me anything I don't already know. I'd rather watch you fail at this game."

Sticking out his tongue, Jonouchi didn't speak back. He turned around and continued playing, trying to ignore Mokuba's occasional laughter.

"I can help you play," Mokuba suggested, "I did help design it. The game was my original idea."

"I think I can get through this alone," told Jonouchi, "I'm supposed to be playing like the average player here."

Mokuba sighed and quieted down. Jonouchi refocused. He didn't want his avatar dying anymore.

"Did Nii-sama give you this game?" asked Mokuba. "I wanted to do the play through, but he told me you'd be finishing it up instead."

"Yeah, he did."

"That's interesting... All of it, actually. I still don't understand it."

Jonouchi didn't answer. He didn't need to answer, nor did he want to answer. Continuing on, he said nothing as Mokuba continued to watch for the next two hours before finally, he wandered off to do whatever it was the brat liked to do when he was supposed to be at school.

It took a week to get through the entire process of reporting the problems and replaying through all the levels and side quests. Mokuba's game was like a strange mix of duel monsters and Skyrim; each player had to battle out monsters as they tried gaining skill powers and magical abilities. Jonouchi enjoyed the game, immensely, despite having killed his character nearly a hundred times and failing to save his game properly.

Surprisingly, Kaiba had allowed him to telework from the mansion the entire week. Jonouchi guessed it was partially due to guilt - Kaiba had been acting somewhat strangely since the events of the previous weekend, not hovering as closely as he tended to do. It made Jonouchi feel relieved that at least some of his words had finally seemed to get through to Kaiba, but at the same time, his almost hands-off approach made Jonouchi feel a little bit lonely. It was one thing to give him space but another thing altogether to keep such a wide berth between them. It was like Kaiba was incapable of settling somewhere in the middle - he swung from one extreme to the other, making Jonouchi wonder if they'd ever work things out like a normal couple.

He didn't even try anything with Jonouchi for the past week, which Jonouchi thought was bizarre. It wasn't like he was rearing to hop back into bed after their last sexual encounter, but Kaiba kept entirely to himself at night. At least, he tried to. They'd eventually wake up tangled in each other, but upon waking, Kaiba would quickly retreat. It was such a complete departure from Kaiba's normal behavior that Jonouchi really didn't know what to think about it.

In actuality, he could've avoided the situation altogether. Jonouchi made excursions out to the city on his lunch breaks, and he managed to find an apartment a little north of the city center. It was small but safe and met his needs. He hadn't actually moved in yet, though - all of his belongings were still scattered around Honda's place, the Game Shop, and Kaiba Mansion. And strangely enough, once Jonouchi had secured a place of his own, the less motivated he felt to live there.

It was nice to know that he had options, though. But staying at the mansion had its conveniences, plus at least he had company, even if it meant awkward encounters with Kaiba's brother, the staff, and Kaiba himself. He only wished the latter wasn't so uncharacteristically...timid.

And somewhat avoidant, really, which was ironic considering how their friendship-relationship-whatever had started.

Things would settle down eventually. Jonouchi had to believe it. He was already over their last fight, for the most part, but Kaiba seemed to be taking longer than usual to recover. It was true - their last one had probably been the worst they'd had yet. Hopefully the worst they'd ever have, so at least things could only go up from there. Normal bickering, he could manage. Hell, it was practically the basis of their relationship from the beginning. But knock-down, drag-out fights? Jonouchi just wasn't up for that. He'd left the gang to avoid that kind of lifestyle, so constant fighting wasn't something he desired in the relationships he _chose_ to have.

His mother had been trying to get a hold of him, too. Jonouchi was badgered all day with phone calls, his mother laying on the guilt hard since the competition had happened. He didn't know how to stop, and he'd already sent one small paycheck to help cover Shizuka's schooling, but his mother's demands were becoming overwhelming. Jonouchi couldn't help but groan each time she called and went on her giant tirade about "helping the family", even though Jonouchi couldn't remember any time in the past when the woman had done something for him.

He'd been alone since the divorce. His father, as troubled and damaged as he was, had done everything for Jonouchi. Now he was gone, and Jonouchi was rattled, feeling more used now that his father was gone than ever before.

It shouldn't be his responsibility to do so much. He loved his sister, and Jonouchi would do anything for Shizuka if she had asked him for help, but his mother was demanding and unappreciative. Her requests for money were unfunded, but it was just easier to cave in a little than try telling her she was wrong to ask.

Eventually, Jonouchi became worn out. He hung up after a spat with her, and turning off his phone, he walked in a daze towards the bedroom, hoping to pass out after feeling a headache coming on.

It felt awkward going to Kaiba's bedroom by himself. For once, Jonouchi was jumping into bed alone, and lying by himself in the chilly room hiding under the covers, he felt very insecure. He knew where Kaiba was, of course. He'd disappear after eating a silent dinner with them all, either to his study or to this office, neither of which Jonouchi felt comfortable just barging into. While Kaiba was avoiding him, Jonouchi just kept his distance, in case he was lashed out at out of nowhere. He didn't want to end up getting pushed away anymore than he already felt.

He couldn't have imagined this would have happened in a million years. Lying alone in bed, stuck in a sea of blankets and sheets alone. It was snowing outside, and the room was too large to adequately heat. Jonouchi knew Kaiba could probably afford to, but probably didn't heat every single room in the mansion. Considering that they usually stole each other's body heat at night, it wasn't necessary, but Jonouchi could feel the need as he laid alone.

The master bedroom was just huge. It was as large as Jonouchi's studio, if not larger. He could barely see to the end of the room in the darkness, and it felt like a long time before the doors finally creaked open and he heard Kaiba step in through before closing it behind him.

Jonouchi said nothing. He wasn't even sure what to say. They had hardly said anything to each other outside of work and simple greetings. The fight didn't feel so raw anymore, but Jonouchi didn't feel able to communicate well. It didn't help either that Kaiba refused to look him in the eyes, avoiding contact as he skirted past him each day and only saw him out of necessity.

It was getting tiresome. Jonouchi felt trapped in some strange twilight zone.

Jonouchi could only hear the sounds of Kaiba getting ready for bed: the sliding of fabric, the heavy thump of clothing falling into the hamper. And then the bed dipped under the new weight, and suddenly the room didn't feel so large or cold anymore. Kaiba was close, closer than he'd been all week. It made the hairs on the back of Jonouchi's arms stand, and he waited, silently, for Kaiba to do anything.

But eventually he grew annoyed with just lying there. He was too frustrated to fall asleep, Kaiba was too close and not doing anything at all, and grumbling, Jonouchi turned around before being greeted with two sharp pairs of blue eyes, peering at him through the darkness. His eyes were adjusted enough to see Kaiba's face and immediately Jonouchi felt a little frozen in place, his eyes wide and feeling unsure of what to do next.

He'd never felt so awkward in his entire life. It wasn't like they hadn't ever shared a bed before. It was slowly becoming a common occurrence, and Jonouchi even prefered it despite Kaiba's frequent snoring. Sleep came easier when he wasn't alone and Jonouchi didn't wake up nearly as much or had as many nightmares, which were all good things. It wasn't even that great when he stayed at Honda's house on occasion.

His face began to burn, and needing to say something, Jonouchi struggled with the word, "Hi."

"Hi," Kaiba returned, his eyes unblinking. "You're still awake."

"Yeah," Jonouchi responded, "I am. I was waiting for you."

"This late?" Kaiba breathed. "Well, now you have me." He reached out then, pulling a thin lock of Jonouchi's hair into his fingers.

Scooting closer, Jonouchi could hear each time Kaiba inhaled and exhaled, their breaths in sync. He felt so lonely, he didn't even care if Kaiba found his approaching annoying, he just wanted to be as near as possible, and he could feel Kaiba's breath hitting the tip of his nose. It didn't bother him at all. He smelled like mint, and that was nice.

"Please stop avoiding me."

Kaiba was quiet, his fingers dancing along the back of Jonouchi's neck. It made him shiver, instinctively moving closer. "Okay."

Jonouchi wasn't sure what he was doing, but he didn't think Kaiba would do anything if he didn't press on. He hadn't done much of anything the entire week, like he was punishing himself. While Jonouchi had been hurt and still felt a little sore about the entire fight, he wasn't going to hold it over Kaiba's head forever. They were _still_ together. One bad decision on Kaiba's part wasn't enough to drop everything over, and taking the initiative, Jonouchi slowly placed his arms around Kaiba's neck before completely invading his space and pressing his lips gently onto the other's.

He had never kissed anyone so tentatively before. The first time he'd ever kissed Kaiba, he hadn't even been trying. It wasn't nervousness so much as unenthusiasm, but now he felt unsure of himself. Jonouchi didn't know why he was trying. Kaiba seemed still at first, almost non-responsive, before he finally kissed him back. When Jonouchi pulled away, he set his forehead against Kaiba's shoulder, pressing it as he tried to think of what to do next.

This was a new situation. It had never happened before. Jonouchi wasn't sure what to do, but he felt like he had to try something.

Just when Jonouchi was about to lose his nerve, Kaiba took over for him, running a hand down his side and pressing them close together. He waited until Jonouchi looked up, then leaned in to kiss him, softly at first, then growing more heated as Jonouchi relaxed into his hold. It was as though all of Kaiba's pent-up emotions were flooding out, desire coursing through his body and spreading into Jonouchi's. It was funny how after a week apart, every touch felt new, alien. It felt like the first time, only now Jonouchi was more aware. More Committed. It still made his heart feel uncomfortably heavy, but now he could feel himself hovering right on the edge of certainty.

Breathless, Kaiba pulled back, staring into Jonouchi's eyes before diving back for more. Jonouchi began to feel light-headed, all his cognizance abandoning him to pool between his legs. He felt like he was burning up, and Kaiba's heat only fanned the flames more. His breaths became small gasps, and he clutched onto Kaiba as though he were a buoy in the middle of the ocean. Jonouchi could feel hands sliding across his skin, a knee pressing between his. He gasped loudly when he felt a firm grip on his ass, Kaiba using the leverage to grind them together.

He could feel himself falling backward, Kaiba gently pushing him against the mattress and rolling on top.

Putting an arm out, Jonouchi pushed Kaiba's shoulder back, blinking before catching his breath. "What are we doing?"

Kaiba stilled, blinking rapidly as his brain functions returned. "You don't want to?"

"Not like this," Jonouchi admitted, "I'm sick of being on my back all the time..."

That was a lie. In all honestly, he was pretty hot and bothered, and he could still feel one hand covering over his butt cheek, periodically kneading his muscle while Jonouchi laid there on the mattress. Physically, it felt great and he wanted to lose himself and just allow what nature said was right, but his mind kept saying no. He didn't want to do it. Not this time.

Eyebrows drawing together, Kaiba raised up on his elbows. Even in the darkness, his eyes were still vivid. "I don't understand, you've always been fine with this before."

"So that means this is how it's gotta be forever?"

Leaning back, Kaiba shifted his weight to his heels, straddling Jonouchi. His hands rested lightly on Jonouchi's hips. "I didn't think there was a problem."

"How can you think there isn't a problem when I already talked to you about this?" asked Jonouchi, feeling his face beginning to heat up as he felt his anger take over, "I know we talked about it right after you-know-what in the hotel room. You're smarter than that, Kaiba, please..."

He didn't even know what he was asking for. All he knew was he wouldn't be happy with himself if he just submitted again. Allowed himself to do what he normally did and what Kaiba wanted... Jonouchi would hate himself for it. No matter what anyone said, he still wasn't okay with it. Kaiba was the manliest man he knew, and he wasn't interested in bottoming, so what did that mean for Jonouchi? Mere words weren't making him feel any better.

And quite honestly, he didn't know what to even do if their places were switched, but it would have at least been nice to know that the option was available...

Sighing, Jonouchi pulled away, laying on his side and grabbing at his hair. "Just forget it. I don't know what I was even thinking."

Kaiba was still crouching beside him, and even though Jonouchi was turned away, he could still feel the intense gaze upon his back. Then Kaiba sighed loudly, dropping back to the bed and shifting under the covers.

"Kaiba, please don't hate me. I'm just as uncomfortable as you are."

Inhaling deeply, Kaiba held the breath for a few moments before slowly releasing it. "I don't hate you, Jonouchi. I just don't see why you're making it such a big deal. We fit together perfectly, why do we need to change them?"

"Because I don't think so," snapped Jonouchi as he turned back and gave Kaiba a sharp look, "or else we wouldn't be in this situation to begin with. You've never had to be vulnerable to anyone like this before, Kaiba, so don't tell me what is and isn't a big deal. Goodnight."

And turning away, Jonouchi slammed the side of his head into his pillow, his eyebrows furrowing as he tried to let his anger subside. He was so upset. After everything that was said, Kaiba still didn't get it. Probably never would. Jonouchi doubted he was even trying to. Telling Jonouchi he was being stupid was easier than fixing the problem. Clearly he wasn't interested in changing anything between them, despite all the grief it was causing.

Despite Kaiba being so near, Jonouchi felt utterly alone again. Usually in moments like that, he could hear his mother or father or some asshole from the past making snide remarks at him, but not this time. There was nothing but emptiness as he closed his eyes.

Jonouchi had never felt so disgruntled during the morning before. He'd turned throughout the night during his sleep, eventually settling on Kaiba's back and laying his head to sleep right up against it. With an arm around him, Jonouchi had latched on and passed out there, only to be forcibly woken up early that morning. Kaiba didn't apologize as he allowed Jonouchi to slide off and back onto the mattress, and wiping his eyes, Jonouchi could only watch as Kaiba walked away and disappeared to shower.

It was unsettling. Kaiba wasn't speaking and Jonouchi remained in bed feeling small, blurry-eyed and disoriented. He wanted to speak, but he didn't know what to say. What could anyone really say after such a failure of a night? He'd given them both blue balls, and Kaiba was probably pissed off. Jonouchi hadn't meant to fuck things up, but he wasn't committed to following through last night, either.

Things didn't get any easier. Tired, Jonouchi laid back down and felt himself begin to lose consciousness again. He could vaguely hear Kaiba opening the bathroom door and getting dressed before fixing the bedsheets and touching Jonouchi's hair. Fingers tingled against Jonouchi's scalp, and he made some sort of noise as he fidgeted before opening his eyes again, finding the room empty and Kaiba gone.

The day was spent on video games. Kaiba Corporation's tech men had sent the last beta-version of the game to be tested and Jonouchi played through it like a champ, going non-stop. He wouldn't allow anyone or anything to ruin his concentration, his eyes glued to the tv screen until someone abruptly turned the monitor off and threw a package of onigiri in his face.

"You hadn't eaten breakfast," remarked Mokuba with a laugh. "It's salmon. Eat it."

Opening the wrapper, Jonouchi made a sour face at Mokuba as he began to eat, "I wasn't hungry, you know. Don't throw food at me..."

"People have died from marathon gaming sessions," Mokuba replied, sticking out his tongue, "I was just trying to avoid cleaning up a mess."

"Yeah, sure. A Kaiba being charitable..."

It did taste good. Jonouchi hated himself a little as he ate it, realizing that he was hungry and skipping breakfast was not a good idea. He'd have to call the staff once Mokuba was gone so they could fix him something more to eat.

Mokuba crawled onto the couch behind Jonouchi, taking up residence in his usual spot. "Will it make it easier to go down if I said I was just trying to be practical?"

Rolling his eyes, Jonouchi ignored Mokuba's jests. Why was he spending time around him now? They never really spoken much after Battle City. Not because Jonouchi didn't like Mokuba, but the opportunities to just weren't there and dealing with Mokuba meant dealing with Kaiba in high quantity, which wasn't something Jonouchi wanted in that point of his life.

Now, things were much different, but still. The younger Kaiba was less predictable and much more bratty.

"What do you want, kid?" asked Jonouchi as he finished up eating his rice treat, "I am getting paid to play this game, in case you didn't know. I'm the official beta tester for your company."

Jonouchi felt a tiny thud against the back of his head, and when he looked down, there was a small piece of popcorn laying on the floor next to him. "Well, _duh_, of course I know. I'm the Vice President, after all," Mokuba said around a mouthful of the stuff.

"I wouldn't know, since I never even see you work," snorted Jonouchi as he picked up the popcorn and ate it. Fuck it all. He didn't care.

"Temporary leave of absence," Mokuba dismissed with a wave of his hand, "Gotta pass my high school exams and college entrance tests and all." He didn't _seem_ all that concerned, though.

"I've never once seen you study since I've been here," remarked Jonouchi and he felt a swell of jealousy before he reminded himself of how much he hated school anyways, "shouldn't you be hitting the books right now instead of pestering me? You still haven't told me what you wanted."

There was a glint in Mokuba's eyes that made Jonouchi distinctly uncomfortable. "Do I have to? I live here. And speaking of, you've been hanging around an awful lot, Jonouchi."

"I don't think I need your permission to," Jonouchi snapped back. "And so what? It's not like I'm in _your_ business, now am I? I don't think so."

How did he even explain himself? Kaiba would say he didn't have to. Jonouchi had his reasons for being there and Mokuba didn't need it to be explained to him. It wasn't his house, it was _Kaiba's_ house and that's all there was to it. He could hear that conversation in his head, but repeating it back to Mokuba, who wouldn't take that kind of thing serious unless it came out of Kaiba's own mouth, was challenging.

The last thing Jonouchi wanted to talk about was his puzzling relationship with Mokuba's older brother, anyways. It was best avoided.

"But you're involved with my brother, and Nii-sama _is_ my business."

"Ask your brother about it then," said Jonouchi as he waved Mokuba off and tried turning back on the game, "he's the one who started this entire mess and I don't feel like having this conversation with you."

"Hmm," Mokuba murmured as he popped more kernels into his mouth, "I knew you guys were fighting again. Nii-sama's been acting weirdly all week." Sitting up straighter, he fixed Jonouchi with a steady gaze, "I've already talked with him about it. Now I want to hear _your_ side."

"What are you, my relationship counselor?" Jonouchi laughed before shaking his head and refocusing on the television. He was not going to discuss his problems to Kaiba's little brother. Sure, the brat wasn't twelve anymore, but he was still a kid, and a strange one at that. Jonouchi had no idea what his angle was in getting involved and he didn't want to say anything he might later regret.

"I don't think your brother would like me talking to you about us," said Jonouchi as he glanced at Mokuba's face before snickering again, "he doesn't seem like the type to like his privacy broadcasted to anyone, including _you_."

"He can't get mad over something he doesn't know about," Mokuba said, his expression suddenly turning serious. "I don't like to see him hurt or unhappy. And I'm not dumb; I know things aren't exactly peachy between you two. So out with it - I'm all ears."

"I don't think so, kid," muttered Jonouchi, "it's really nothing I can talk to you about unless you'd like some brain bleach later."

He wasn't discussing his confusing sex life with Mokuba Kaiba. That was just not going to happen. He could barely discuss it with Kaiba Seto himself, which was sad considering they'd done it together several times already, but for some reason, talking about it was just hard.

"I'll just say your brother and I don't see eye to eye on a lot of things," Jonouchi sighed. "He wants things a certain way and I can't just go along with it all because he thinks its a good idea."

"No kidding, with the way you two scream and stomp around, I'm surprised you haven't torn this whole building down," Mokuba smirked. "But all joking aside, I get it, I really do. Nii-sama can be so single-track minded at times, it can be hard to get him to see any side other than his own."

Jonouchi sighed, feeling somewhat relieved and annoyed for Mokuba understanding it so quickly. "I wish he'd stop trying to be right all the damn time."

Mokuba's face was pinched, and he squirmed into the corner of the couch, burrowing himself in. "I don't think he can really help it. He's had to be in charge for so long, and he's never really had anyone other than myself that he could trust. But even with me, he's always been more of a protector. I don't think Nii-sama means anything bad by it; he's been programmed that way. He _has_ to be right, or otherwise very bad things could happen."

Giving Mokuba a strange look, Jonouchi kind of stared before looking away. It made sense, considering what he knew of Kaiba's childhood. They didn't discuss it and Jonouchi didn't really want to know, but he wasn't completely ignorant about everything. He knew Kaiba had gone through some ugly shit and was always working to get past it and after all, he'd improved so much from the first time they'd met.

But still. The lack of compromise was aggravating.

"I want to be treated like an equal."

Mokuba looked up at Jonouchi, his eyebrows raising a bit. "Have you acted like an equal?"

"What does that even mean?" laughed Jonouchi, "What an absurd thing to say."

"I just mean-" Mokuba began, his eyebrows beginning to furrow, "Nii-sama doesn't give out his respect easily or lightly. He has to be able to trust you. Has there been reason for him not to?"

"I don't think so," answered Jonouchi honestly. What had he done to be treated unfairly? Okay, Jonouchi wasn't fucking perfect, but he tried. Sure, he used to disappear in the morning like some guy trying to escape a girl after a drunken hook up, but that was just embarrassment and awkwardness on his part. He'd stopped doing that, and he was trying to act normal. "But this whole dating thing is a huge adjustment for me," said Jonouchi as he shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Your brother is different and doesn't care what others think, but I still do."

Laughing a little, Mokuba's posture began to relax. "He's an all-or-nothing kind of guy. And I imagine once he's let you in, he puts a lot of expectations on you. You're the first- well, the only one, really, so I don't really know…"

Cocking an eyebrow, Jonouchi felt himself become curious but he didn't say anything about it. Shouldn't Kaiba be telling him those kind of things and not his brother? Maybe he would, one day, when he felt like it. Neither of them was very open with each other, but Jonouchi felt like Kaiba knew far more about him than the other way around. It didn't help that Kaiba frequently stuck his damn nose in all of Jonouchi's business, but he did know things other people didn't know about Jonouchi's personal life yet Jonouchi still felt in the dark about him.

He'd never tried asking, but Jonouchi didn't feel comfortable doing so. Kaiba was easily offended. No matter how tough and distant he'd act when someone said something he didn't like, Jonouchi knew it got under Kaiba's skin and he tried playing it off by closing off his feelings entirely. He really didn't want that to happen, because once Kaiba decided to check out, he was hard to get back.

Mokuba's voice shook him from his thoughts. "Just be good to him, okay? You mean a lot to him."

Jonouchi blinked, feeling his face begin to warm up against his will. "I try to be."

"I mean it," Mokuba insisted, almost pleading. He seemed very much like the twelve-year-old kid Jonouchi had first met all those years ago "I don't want to lose him again. There's no telling how he would end up if he were to lose you."

Unable to answer, Jonouchi just frowned. He didn't even know how to respond to that. Mokuba never seemed serious about anything. "I care about your brother a lot," Jonouchi answered, trying to be honest, "he's the closest person I've had to a best friend in quite a while. I would never try to hurt him, okay?"

Seeming somewhat satisfied with Jonouchi's answer, Mokuba curled back up around his popcorn bowl and began munching again. "I'm glad it's you, by the way. I mean, it was strange at first. _Really_ strange. I didn't think you were into guys. But at least I know you, and I know you're a good person at heart."

"Thanks Mokuba, I do really appreciate that."

He couldn't help but smile at that. It made his chest swell a little bit, hearing that, and having Mokuba's approval did matter to him. The kid was the most important person in Kaiba's life. That much was clear, since the beginning. Even though they didn't all hang around each other together, Jonouchi knew that Mokuba would always be first and foremost in Kaiba's heart and that was fine. Jonouchi understood having younger siblings and the desire to protect them, even when it wasn't possible to.

"By the way, I didn't think I was into guys, either," snorted Jonouchi, "to be perfectly honest with you, it was a bit of a surprise. Also a major source of contention I guess between your brother and I, but I'm sure it'll figure itself out eventually. It's just hard for me to be so sure about something when it's completely different from anything I thought I wanted before.

"I thought I liked women. Apparently that's not really the case, since I've been seeing your brother twice as long as my last and only relationship. It was a complete failure..."

The poor girl had tried, but they both knew something was missing.

Mokuba very intently rolled around a kernel of popcorn on his hand before tossing it up and catching it on his tongue. "I'm not an authority on it or anything, but I guess all I can say is if it feels right and makes you happy, then why not just go for it? Different isn't a bad thing; it's just different. It almost sounds like you aren't _allowing_ yourself to be happy."

"That might be possible," said Jonouchi more to himself than Mokuba. He was quiet again, his thoughts all over the place before he finally snapped back to reality. "I need to get this beta work done, though." Turning to Mokuba again, Jonouchi smiled. "Thanks for the talk, even if I didn't want it at first."

"Mm-hmm," Mokuba hummed, sing-song. He turned the television back on and then flicked another piece of popcorn towards Jonouchi.

Jonouchi shook his head before eating it. "Jerk."


	27. Chapter 27

When Kaiba awoke the next morning, he was glad for once that it was the weekend. While Saturday still meant work for him on a normal schedule, he'd requested Eguchi not to schedule him for anything for this particular one. Kaiba Corporation was throwing a launch party for the release of their newest video game, and Kaiba didn't want to deal with the hassle of going to work in the day only to have to face the draining prospect of professional socializing at night.

Jonouchi had left earlier in the morning, mumbling something about his apartment, but Kaiba had been too groggy to really comprehend anything at the time. He'd gotten a text message later about it, so at least it didn't seem like Jonouchi was avoiding him again.

Kaiba really hoped Jonouchi wouldn't become overly prickly about their relationship, given their latest massive failure. The previous night had left him frustrated and confused; Jonouchi always made a big deal out of nothing. It wasn't like he'd ever left Jonouchi unsatisfied while in bed, so what was the problem with how they had sex? It was like Jonouchi only wanted to prove some stupid point, not that he wanted the experience or the opportunity to try to pleasure Kaiba in a more proactive way. The whole matter made Kaiba feel uncomfortable, and another major mishap so close after how badly their previous week-long fight had ended only unsettled Kaiba further.

Despite everything, though, Jonouchi had remained at the mansion the entire past week, so that was something at the very least. It was due mostly to practicality, Kaiba reasoned, but Jonouchi could've always stayed at Yugi's or Honda's once again, or speeded up the move-in process to his new place. That he had chosen to stay with Kaiba helped to quell his lingering anxiety, but just barely. He wondered if he and Jonouchi would always be caught in a cycle of misunderstandings - they were like puzzle pieces turned the wrong way: misaligned, but with the potential to connect. They just needed to find the right direction, Kaiba was sure of it.

Deciding to skip breakfast, Kaiba took advantage of his quiet morning to get some work out of the way before the night's big event. Plodding through mindless paperwork wasn't exactly his idea of fun, but it was meditative - almost therapeutic - in its own way. Kaiba lost himself in it for a few hours before it became too monotonous and he finally started to feel the first pangs of hunger.

He was, quite honestly, a bit bored. Emerging from his office, he stole some fruit and a sandwich from the kitchen before retreating to his basement workspace. No one seemed to be home, and if they were, they hadn't made their presence known, so Kaiba decided to spend this rare commodity on tinkering with some personal projects he'd neglected for too long. Being a businessman and leading a company was something he'd been trained to do, but Kaiba was an inventor at heart - it's what came naturally to him, perhaps was even his true calling, and he didn't want to lose that connection.

Kaiba Corporation was the fulfillment of his dream. It paid the bills and afforded him and his brother the comfortable lifestyle they struggled to obtain. But deep down, Kaiba felt compelled to create. Perhaps it was their mother's influence.

Kaiba couldn't tell how long he'd spent in the windowless room, but when he heard the door at the top of the stairs creak open, he'd accumulated a small sea of drafting papers, multicolored wires threaded through multiple breadboards, and an array of tools in front of him.

"Nii-sama," called out Mokuba through the crack, "may I speak to you for a moment?"

Mokuba's hesitancy made Kaiba pause mid-scribble. Usually the kid just bounded in wherever. "Sure, do you want to come down here, or do I need to come up?"

Opening the door completely, Mokuba bounded into the room, finding an empty chair to drag in front of where his brother was sitting.

"The exams are next month," he explained, drumming his finger tips on his knees before pausing again, "and I know I'm going to do well, but I don't want to go to college here in Japan. I want to go overseas."

Dropping his pencil entirely, Kaiba turned towards his brother, crossing his legs and folding his hands in his lap. "What brings this on?"

"Nothing," Mokuba answered honestly, "I just thought I should tell you. I really want to go back to California. I'm almost an adult now, and I was hoping you'd be alright with that. There are good schools there, and I could help the company better by being where you can't watch."

Kaiba could feel the frown tugging at the edge of his mouth, but he fought to keep his expression neutral. It wasn't a bad idea. And it was a silly notion to think that they would always be together; of course, Mokuba had his own wishes and desires. His own ambitions. But Kaiba felt like a father in many ways, and the idea of his baby brother leaving home made him feel achingly lonely. "When would you leave? The American school system doesn't begin until August."

"When I'm done with school here, of course," laughed Mokuba. "I just wanted you to support me. I'm going to start applying to schools as soon as possible. It's too late to transfer now, since I'm already so far into the semester, but during the summer, I want to go back. You and Jonouchi could come with me to visit."

Sitting back, Kaiba studied his brother. Mokuba was getting taller and taller, his proportions starting to fill out. He had an easy, confident countenance. When had the time passed by? He sighed a little, a small smile spreading on his lips. "If that's what you want, then of course I'll support you. I know you're not really asking for my permission, but thank you for telling me, anyway."

He remembered how awful it felt when Mokuba had just up and left without warning. He had departed in anger, leaving Kaiba to worry by himself. But this time would be different. Kaiba would have the time to prepare himself, to anticipate the empty nest. To let go.

Besides, he wouldn't be completely alone afterwards this time, either.

"I didn't want my intentions to be a surprise," told Mokuba, "you deserve better than that from me. I am really appreciative of everything you've done for me, Nii-sama. I don't want you to think me leaving home is me trying to run away from you. Things might sometimes be difficult between us, but we will always be brothers, right?"

"Right," Kaiba agreed, "nothing will change that." He reached over and ruffled Mokuba's hair, earning a tiny squeal for his efforts. "So have you thought about which colleges you want to apply to?"

"Yes, but I am still making a list. I'll show you when I'm finished with my research. I've been too busy preparing for tonight's party to really think too hard about it yet," explained Mokuba, "but I know I want to study on the west coast. I like it there. Tomorrow I can put more thought into schools, okay Nii-sama?"

"Sure." Kaiba glanced down at his watch: somehow it was already almost four o'clock; the party would begin in only three hours' time. "We better start getting ready, though - it would be unprofessional for the hosts to arrive late to their own event."

Mokuba smirked before turning to run out of the room. Kaiba could only smile back a little; he felt a little sad realizing that the kid would be leaving by next year, but it was supposed to be like that. Children grew up and left their homes. Mokuba had a good chance at success by going off on his own and relying on himself, which was more than what most teenagers in their country got, thanks to the shitty economy. It was selfish to hold him back because Kaiba didn't want to let go.

It would be difficult not having him around, though. No one else understood Kaiba so well, it seemed, and Mokuba was the only person Kaiba seemed to have an unspoken connection with. He'd hoped he could one day say the same for Jonouchi, but things just kept getting in the way. There was a disconnect, and Kaiba wasn't sure sometimes if Jonouchi even wanted him like that to begin with.

He didn't like the feeling of uncertainty. It was a foreign sensation, and Kaiba tried to keep it as far away from his life as possible. Kaiba lived his life by equations and patterns, reactions born of cause and effect. Jonouchi seemed to defy everything.

It would be more bearable if he would give Kaiba just one inkling as to his true intentions, but everything about their relationship remained jumbled as long as Jonouchi kept wavering. Deciding. Whatever it was that was going on in his head. But Jonouchi was choosing to remain a prisoner of convention, and Kaiba didn't hold the keys to release him. Jonouchi did; he just couldn't see that yet.

Determined not to get all dispirited on Mokuba's big night, Kaiba pushed himself away from his workspace, neatly rearranging his stacks of diagrams, and carried himself back to his room to start getting ready. Midway through, he received another message from Jonouchi, saying he would meet up with the brothers at headquarters. Tossing his phone onto his bed, Kaiba wondered what Jonouchi had gotten into that would have kept him from returning home, but he decided not to think too hard over it. At least Jonouchi had thought to tell him at all, and that was a start.

He _really _had to stop thinking of the mansion as their "home."

At quarter-past six, Kaiba and Mokuba piled into his Ferrari and sped over to Kaiba Corporation. While Kaiba was proud of Mokuba's achievement - according to every projection, the game was sure to be a holiday bestseller - he wasn't thrilled about spending yet another Saturday night mingling with Domino's elite. It was a necessary evil to keep his investors and partners happy, and it _was_ a good way to reward the project and marketing teams for their efforts. But all the same, Kaiba found the events tedious at best. At least this one, his presence wouldn't be required the entire night - after all, no one really wanted to _party_ while their boss was lingering around, and Kaiba was more than willing to accommodate.

He would get to spend the evening with Jonouchi, though, which was something Kaiba was looking forward to. They hadn't really had the opportunity to spend time together since their fight (and the one before that), and while half of that was Kaiba's doing for giving Jonouchi his desired space, Kaiba admitted to himself that he missed the companionship. Hopefully Jonouchi wouldn't run off and do his social butterfly act all night, but even if he did, there wasn't much Kaiba could do about it. There wasn't much point in keeping him on the proverbial short leash any longer - Jonouchi knew how to conduct himself at these events, and Kaiba demanding that he stay close would only make Jonouchi resent him.

They already had enough of that to fix.

As soon as they arrived at headquarters, Mokuba burst out of the car and dove into the festivities. Several conference rooms had been combined into one large ballroom, the space transformed by darkness and neon lights, smoke, and projections. It was like walking into some futuristic arcade, and Kaiba at once knew how involved his brother had been with the planning. Guess he was _actually_ doing something productive during all those days he skipped class, Kaiba surmised with a grin.

People weren't strolling in yet. The design team was making last minute touches and Isono ushered Kaiba away when he sneaked a look. Apparently he wasn't welcomed yet, and frowning, he left the room and went into the elevator to amuse himself some other way.

There was still a lot of time before the night would kick off. Somehow, Kaiba would have to try and put on a good show for his company before eventually sneaking off. People expected him to have a good time (at his own party, after all) and although he'd be disappearing early, the investors would probably want to talk to him, along with any press and media that was invited to attend.

At least most of his own employees would be too intimidated to approach him. Kaiba didn't have to deal with too many social climbers and yes men thanks to his rough persona, and stopping short of his own floor, Kaiba left the elevator before his body just went along down the hallway out of memory.

He didn't know why he was going to Jonouchi's office. It was unlikely that the man would even be there, but Jonouchi had said he'd meet them there and if he wasn't watching the decorating, then there wasn't too many other places he could be.

Opening the door quietly, Kaiba peered into Jonouchi's office. Unexpectedly, Jonouchi was standing to the back of the room, facing the wall as he spoke loudly into a cell phone in his ear. He was completely unaware of Kaiba's presence, and while Kaiba was completely aware of how rude he was being, he couldn't help but eavesdrop.

"Yes, I got your letters, Okaa-san- I already gave that much to you a month ago, there's no reason that you'd need more. Yes, I understand Shizuka's tuition is expensive, but I can't afford that much... Yeah, yeah, I get that. But I don't remember you helping me much when I needed money for school, and I had to even go so far as to steal clothes or else I was going to go without any... No, I'm not looking for your pity, Okaa-san, just some understanding."

Jonouchi was silent for a moment, nodding his head and tapping his foot before his voice broke out, "Don't lie to me about that shit, I know you remarried. I'm not as stupid as you think I am, and I don't owe you anything. If you want that money, go bother Tou-san with that shit...Yeah, I know you don't know where he is, but that's not my damn problem."

There was some silence again before Jonouchi spoke up once more, "I don't have time for this. I have a business dinner to prepare for and nothing I say is going to make you happy, so how about we continue this later? ...yeah well, that's not my problem. You should have tried harder a long time ago-"

Jonouchi was so distracted that he didn't even register that Kaiba had sidled up behind him, plucking the phone away.

"What seems to be the problem, Kawai-_san_," Kaiba practically spat.

The line went silent before a voice spoke up. "Who is this?"

Jonouchi was frozen in place, his eyes wide like saucers. Kaiba ignored him, continuing the stolen conversation. "That's not important. It would behoove you, however, to cease your harrassment of my employee, because what you're doing amounts to extortion and fraud. So unless you would like a nice little trip to the courtroom, I would suggest you see yourself out of your son's affairs."

"I'm not harassing him - he _owes_ me-" Jonouchi's mother snapped, but Kaiba cut her off at the pass.

"Jonouchi doesn't bear any obligation to you, and you certainly didn't provide _your own child _with the same courtesy, so spare me your inane reasonings. Do _not_ make me take you to court. Because I will put the entire might of Kaiba Corporation behind this, and you _will_ lose."

At this point, Jonouchi was gaping like a goldfish.

"-Correct, that's who I am. Now that we've come to an understanding, I trust you'll do the sensible thing and refrain from harassing my employee further. You strike me as a shrewd woman, Kawai-san. This is your first and only warning." And with that, Kaiba ended the call, tossing the phone back to Jonouchi. It slipped through his fingers before he caught it.

"... I'll see you down at the party, Kaiba." Jonouchi brusquely pushed past him, leaving Kaiba standing alone in the office.

Great. Just great. Kaiba had only been trying to help, but now Jonouchi was pissed at him. That practically guaranteed that Kaiba would be spending the evening by himself, stuck socializing with people he'd rather avoid.

What he'd done had been impulsive, but it was about time that someone told the woman off. Jonouchi was always so complacent, performing the same song and dance that he gave both of his wretched parents. A little bit of bark, but ultimately he'd roll over and take their abuse. Why did he feel he needed people like that in his life, just because they shared blood? After Kaiba's own family had abandoned him and his brother and left the two destitute, Kaiba had never looked back. There were some betrayals that could never be forgiven.

Jonouchi, despite his many flaws, was too good of a person sometimes.

Kaiba didn't know what to think. He stood in the office with his arms folded just fuming for a while, mad at the entire situation before going back down to the first floor. It would do no good brooding away over it. Sure, he'd done Jonouchi a favor by standing up for him, but snatching the phone out of his hands and interrupting a sensitive conversation wasn't very tactful, even if Kaiba's intentions were good. The more he stewed over it, the more Kaiba realized that he was inevitably in the wrong and Jonouchi wouldn't appreciate being pushed aside from dealing with his own personal problems, even if Kaiba didn't agree with how he handled them.

Besides, if Kaiba were in Jonouchi's shoes, he knew he'd be angry at being treated that way, too. He hated being disregarded and Jonouchi was just as stubborn and independent as Kaiba was.

He shouldn't have done that.

Closing the office door behind him, Kaiba headed towards the elevator before riding down and busying himself with his tablet. Kaiba knew better than to go anywhere without his toys, and he busied himself with it until the open bar would be available to him. At least while he was still sober, he could doodle around with ideas and try to distract himself from feeling horrible by working on his design skills.

Kaiba was quite gifted at it. He sometimes wondered where he'd be if it wasn't for Gozaburo. He'd probably be in some engineering field, still making tons of money. Getting a degree in computer science software and business had been relatively easy; Kaiba already knew most of the material being taught and he'd been gifted with a photographic memory. He'd only need to read through the lessons once or hear a lecture a single time to be able to remember and understand the concept being explained. It was how he was able to endure Gozaburo's insane training, and Kaiba hadn't forgotten anything.

When he was younger, Kaiba liked aerodynamics. Maybe he still even did. After all, he'd created the Blue-Eyes White Dragon jet out of an old fighter that Kaiba Corporation was going to destroy after the take over. There was a lot of old military-grade equipment and machines that were fun to tinker with, if Kaiba could call it that. During the most stressful times of his life, dealing with the cold steel of planes and helicopters had been a relaxing vacation from the overbearing presence of potential corporate backstabbers.

Interpersonal relationships had always been a struggle. Kaiba didn't want to entertain the thought for a second that maybe his problems with Jonouchi had more to do with _his_ doing than Jonouchi just being difficult...

He remained distracted by his tablet until Isono finally reappeared with Mokuba by his side, "Seto-sama, the ballroom is ready now. Guests are arriving, would you like us to escort you to them?"

"No, that won't be necessary."

There were only a handful of people Kaiba planned on personally greeting. Everyone else wasn't worth the effort.

"Should I keep an eye on Jonouchi-sama tonight?" asked Isono, "or shall he be chaperoning himself tonight?"

Kaiba could feel his eye twitch. Mokuba fought back a laugh, but it wasn't missed by any of them and Kaiba sighed before waving his hand. "No, that won't be necessary," he directed, "I'll keep an eye on him myself. Just make sure the guests behave themselves tonight, Isono. I don't want anyone getting sick or deciding to piss somewhere in this building, you understand?"

Isono bowed, "Certainly, sir."

It sounded ridiculous, but it had happened before. Kaiba could clearly remember his first party at the tender age of thirteen. One drunk man had taken a piss in a potted fern. Another puked in a waste bin inside one of the cubicles upstairs. And when Kaiba was only fourteen, he'd left the party early to get some air when he found a couple fucking in a office with the door still ajar. Since then, Kaiba never completely trusted his employees to behave.

The first hour was the worst. After making the necessary rounds, Kaiba found himself taking his usual position at the bar, hiding in the corner nursing a glass of chilled sake. No one spoke to him once he had a drink in his hand, and sipping as he watched the crowd, he spotted Jonouchi.

He was predictably social, mixing with everyone but mainly sticking by Kaiba's intern, Nakahara's side until Yamazaki appeared with Mai on his arm. Then Jonouchi seemed to have latched onto their party, sitting together at a table sharing a platter of food together as the party went on.

Kaiba felt the sting of jealousy come over him. He wished he could be like that. Just effortlessly converse with people. Be pleasant and make people comfortable. Jonouchi seemed good at it, when his attitude was in check, and Yamazaki was always easy-going. Mai Kujaku had a mouth, but people found it endearing and she was pretty enough to get away with her sassy personality. It was apart of her charm, apparently.

Isono stood across the room, arms folded behind his back and eyes covered with black sun glasses. All of the security team wore them, so no one knew who was being watched, but at that moment, Kaiba felt like he was the one being studied. He was sure his personal assistant didn't approve. The man wasn't ignorant. If anyone knew about nearly all the things Kaiba did when no one else was watching, it was Isono. He had complete control over the Kaiba Mansion's security and Kaiba Corporation's... in all likelihood, he knew everything.

It wouldn't have bothered Kaiba so much if he didn't feel so rejected. Who would have thought that someone so successful and powerful could fail so miserably at love?

After the second hour, Kaiba could feel the tone of the room changing. People were getting louder. There was more laughter and the ballroom felt smaller. Drinks were being sent all over, and Kaiba himself was starting to feel the change as his body tingled and his mind became foggy.

He wanted to see Jonouchi.

Getting up, he marched over to the man's table, grabbing a seat before making himself at home between Jonouchi and Mai, looking around before finding a waiter with a cocktail.

"Hello Kaiba, how kind of you to join us," laughed Mai as she stirred her drink with a straw, "grown tired of the open bar now?"

"It wasn't my intention to stay there all night," said Kaiba neutrally, "I just needed time for thinking."

"Thinking?" asked Mai as Jonouchi looked away uncomfortably, "What kind of thinking?"

"Deep thinking."

Mai laughed as Yamazaki smiled. They could both tell that Kaiba was drunk. Usually that would have bothered Kaiba, but he didn't care too much as Jonouchi continued to avoid eye contact with him.

"I want to begin a new personal project of mine," explained Kaiba as he continued sipping his drink before setting it down and gesturing with his hands, "I want to continue working on my fighter jet."

This time Jonouchi did turn around, his eyes appearing curious before he found something else to look at in the crowd. Kaiba frowned. He wasn't paying attention to him.

"I haven't done anything with it since going to the United States," explained Kaiba, "it's been sitting untouched in a hangar bay for far too long. There are so many improvements to expand upon once I can dedicate more time to it. I'd like to fly across the Pacific once more when I get the chance."

"I didn't know you were a pilot," said Yamazaki with a smile, "is it a hobby of yours, Kaiba-sama?"

"Maybe. I don't know."

Yamazaki appeared confused but he didn't try questioning Kaiba further.

"I don't think I've ever had a hobby. Hobbies are for people with time. I don't have time," Kaiba remarked, tilting his glass around to slosh the ice inside.

"You have time," snorted Jonouchi as he rolled his eyes and finally chimed into the conversation, "you just don't like giving it up for things you deem 'unimportant'. You should learn to have fun more. It wouldn't kill you."

"Perhaps," Kaiba mused, taking a sip of his drink and leaning back into his seat. "Should I make you my teacher, then?" He smirked behind his glass.

Jonouchi's eyes widened a bit before he just waved off Kaiba's words, "You'll have to pay me more to put me through the struggle of trying to teach you of all people that."

Yamazaki began laughing rather loudly before quieting himself with his drink. Mai just smiled, looking at Kaiba and Jonouchi knowingly before her lips turned into a smug sort of smirk. Jonouchi gave her a puzzled look but said nothing.

"You used to play chess," pointed out Jonouchi as he grabbed another glass of sake that passed around, "as a kid, too. So it must have been a hobby. I think you like saying shit like that to sound more serious than you actually are."

"Can you really count something you did as a child as a hobby?"

"If you love it enough, sure. You've played chess against me before."

Yamazaki's face looked shocked before he began laughing again. "Really, Kaiba-sama, you played against Jonouchi-san in a chess match, eh? How did it go? Who beat who?"

"Still undefeated," Kaiba answered, cocking an eyebrow, "And I only played because Jonouchi insisted." He sighed. "After beating a World Champion, it's hard to stay interested."

"Geez, Kaiba-_sama_, maybe if you had the time, you could make an art out of being a giant snob," remarked Jonouchi.

Yamazaki began laughing once more before Kaiba shot him a look. He quickly hushed himself, still smiling as he hid his face against his wine glass.

"Jonouchi-san, you must be one of the only few people in this entire room who has Kaiba-sama figured out. What's your secret?"

"Curiosity," cut in Mai with a smirk, "am I right?"

"Only partially," answered Jonouchi with a slight frown.

Kaiba couldn't say he agreed with Yamazaki. Sure, Jonouchi probably _did_ know him the best out of everyone in the room, with the exception of Mokuba and Isono due to years of history together, but if Jonouchi had him figured out, they wouldn't have all their problems standing in their way. Or at least, they _shouldn't_.

"You two were classmates, right?" asked Yamazaki as he looked back towards Kaiba before putting a stupid smile on his face. Clearly, the man was drunk. But Yamazaki wasn't like some of the other guests; he always managed to stay well-behaved even while intoxicated.

"In high school," Kaiba replied, turning his attention towards Jonouchi. He eyed him for several seconds before turning his gaze away to stare again at his drink.

"Kaiba-sama was unfortunate enough to have me in homeroom," said Jonouchi as he sighed and stirred his glass, "not that he probably noticed me that much. Or anyone, really."

Kaiba snorted as he absently ran a finger down the side of his glass, catching the beading condensation. "You and your group were always so loud, it took effort to ignore you all."

"Because reading Nietzsche through class was much more important than making friends, right?" laughed Jonouchi out loud, "You really are quite ridiculous."

"I'm impressed you remember," Kaiba said with a short laugh, "Tell me, Jonouchi, how long were you watching me not have fun by myself?"

"Not as long as you probably would have liked," answered Jonouchi with a grin.

Mai started snorting while Yamazaki seemed to not have heard the answer. He looked around a few times before Nakahara appeared, and they began speaking about something but Kaiba ignored them. He wasn't interested in business talk while he finally had Jonouchi's attention, even if he wasn't sure if it was positive. After a week of staying away, any attention was good attention, it seemed.

"That's a bold assumption," Kaiba remarked as he took a long sip from his drink. Mai was staring at them intently, but Kaiba didn't care. She probably had them figured out already.

"Then am I wrong?" asked Jonouchi as he continued smirking as he twirled his drink in his glass.

"That depends. Would you rather be wrong or correct?" Kaiba said, a slow grin creeping across his face.

"Since I'm invested now in having you figured out, I guess I'd rather be right," said Jonouchi as he moved closer to where Kaiba was sitting. He eyed Mai a few times, as if annoyed by her watching them, but Kaiba was too buzzed to care. Let her listen. It wasn't like she'd say anything. She was friends with Jonouchi, so it was doubtful she'd do much beyond maybe tease him about it later.

"Hmm, then I guess you're right," Kaiba murmured. If they had been anywhere else, he would have leaned in and kissed Jonouchi right then. He kept their eyes locked instead, his grin never faltering. "What else have you figured out about me? Since you're the expert," Kaiba said, finally breaking eye contact to finish off his drink.

"You're pretty full of shit," laughed Jonouchi as leaned against the table with an elbow. No one was even self-aware at this point. It was a miracle that Jonouchi was even using honorifics still, most of the other party-goers had given up. "And your humor is strange, but you can be funny sometimes."

"I suppose I shouldn't consider a career switch, then," Kaiba laughed. "Is that all? I don't sound like a very interesting person."

"Maybe you're right," answered Jonouchi, "and maybe you're wrong."

"I'd like to think I'm wrong," Kaiba said, pushing his glass away, "otherwise, it would make me wonder why anyone stuck around me at all."

"I'm sure if you thought hard enough about it, you could answer that question yourself, Kaiba."

Closing his eyes briefly, Kaiba sighed, the ghost of a smile still on his lips. "I've done enough deep thinking for tonight. I don't want to think anymore."

"That's a damn miracle," laughed Jonouchi in surprise. He clapped his hands before waving another drink over, sliding his empty glass away. "I think that's part of your problem, Kaiba. You think too damn much. You need to learn how to relax. Embrace some hobbies. You said you liked planes, right?"

"Correct." He leaned against the table.

"Fly for fun."

Kaiba swiped another glass of sake from the waiter's tray, even though part of his mind said he shouldn't prolong his inebriation. Fuck it. Jonouchi was actually talking to him. "Fly for fun?" he repeated, rolling the sake across his tongue. It was cold and dry with an edge of sweetness. "I would need a lot of time for that."

"You could make time, you somehow manage to do so when you want it badly enough," said Jonouchi before he hummed a little, "we've both seen it. You should go play with that jet of yours, if that's what you want to do. You won't be useful to anyone, here or there, if you are always busying yourself with work crap."

"Kaiba Corporation hasn't sunk yet," Kaiba said, raising his glass in an arc around the room. "But suppose I do entertain this idea of yours. Would you care to join me on these excursions? You're my 'fun' teacher, after all."

"What am I going to get in return for dealing with you? Flying takes at least two hours, right?" asked Jonouchi as he laughed, "That's a long time of us being near each other without committing murder."

Mai had disappeared, along with everyone else. For how long, Kaiba didn't know. He'd just noticed how their presence had disappeared. He was alone with Jonouchi.

"I could make it worth your while," Kaiba replied, his voice low as he leaned closer. Their knees were almost touching underneath the table.

"Oh really," answered Jonouchi in a hushed voice. He smiled before closing his eyes and touching his chin in thought. "What kind of destination do you have in mind, then? Okinawa? Guam?"

"Anywhere, everywhere. Wherever you would want to go." It made no difference to Kaiba, as long as Jonouchi was there with him.

"How much time do you have?"

"How much time do I need for this new hobby, _sensei_?" Kaiba smirked at the honorific, enjoying seeing how Jonouchi's eyebrows receded out of sight into his hairline.

Jonouchi broke out into a loud fit of laughter. It was enough that Mai, who was standing nearby, raised an eyebrow as she broke into a smile and Yamazaki wandered back as he dropped his

elbow against Jonouchi's chair.

"Is Kaiba-sama telling jokes now?" asked Yamazaki, "What am I missing out on?"

"Maybe I should reconsider that career change," Kaiba said elusively.

Just then, a familiar face passed by Kaiba's shoulder, and turning around slowly, Kaiba frowned. It wasn't someone he had hoped to see. Not that Kaiba was worried over being bothered, but when the man took a chair at their table, he could feel himself tense up as everyone else sort of shifted away.

"This seems to be where the popular kids hang out," said Sugiura, a Kaiba Corporation investor Kaiba had been hoping to avoid. He had a tendency for flirting with everyone while drunk. Especially men. For some reason, people prefered to act like it didn't happen even when the man was being blatant about his attempts to woo. It wasn't even a matter of attractiveness; Sugiura had an easy face and a fit body. But he tried too hard with the rest of his appearance and he had a big mouth. "Kaiba-san, who are your friends here?"

"Sugiura. What a delight," Kaiba deadpanned. He sighed underneath his breath; sometimes just humoring the man and acting boring was enough to shoo him away. "I'm sure you've met Kujaku Mai and Yamazaki before. And this is Jonouchi Katsuya, Kaiba Corporation's sponsored Duelist." If Sugiura had half a brain, he would already have known. He was, rather unfortunately, a lead investor, but Sugiura had a reputation for throwing his trust fund to wherever provided enough amusement.

"Jonouchi Katsuya, huh?" replied the man with a sly smile, "You must be very new then. I've never noticed you before. Tell me, Jonouchi-san, how did you get Kaiba here to join the party? Usually he's attached to the bar all night long, aren't you?" laughed Sugiura. Kaiba didn't think he was funny at all. He didn't smile.

"We've known each other for a long time," answered Jonouchi rather curtly.

Sugiura didn't seem put off. He played with the fancy watch on his wrist, moving it around as the diamonds shined in the light of the ballroom. His eyes traveled back and forth between the different people surrounding the table before they finally settled on Jonouchi. "And you haven't grown bored of him yet? Don't feel pressured into talking to him just because he's your boss," joked Sugiura, "Aren't you thirsty? Come to the bar with me, I'll order you a drink."

"Thank you for the consideration, Sugiura, but I believe we're all well-accommodated," Kaiba said flatly, tapping against Jonouchi's glass for emphasis.

Sugiura just snorted. "Really Kaiba-san, I know you aren't used to sharing attention, but you should give it a try for once. I'm genuinely interested in this Jonouchi Katsuya. Professional Duelist? Maybe he could help me with my dueling next time I think about playing at home, huh? I could use some private tutoring."

Jonouchi just squirmed. Staring at his drink, he didn't really answer back.

"I'm afraid Jonouchi isn't available to hire for lessons," Kaiba replied cooly, sitting up in his seat. "If you're interested in improving your game, I can always recommend a more suitable tutor."

"Isn't Jonouchi one of the best, though?" asked Sugiura, "why should I settle for anyone else? I give so much money to help his career anyways, I'm sure, so I should get something back for my generosity. What do you think, Jonouchi-san? I could help you with this new career of yours, I know very important people."

Jonouchi drank the rest of his drink before shaking his head. "I'm good."

"Hmmm. Kaiba-san, you really haven't changed at all," addressed Sugiura as he changed his attention over and peered at Kaiba pointedly. "Just as greedy as ever."

Kaiba narrowed his eyes. "Greedy? For refusing to lend out my only professional Duelist to satisfy a cash source's whim? I would advise you to recall the figures from Kaiba Corporation's philanthropy report from the last annual meeting, but I never seem to see you there."

The man looked so embarrassed. Kaiba just glared at Sugiura until he started to squirm, and after he rubbed at his nose and looked off towards the floor, he quickly did a one-eighty and stalked away. Although Kaiba knew he'd probably have to hear about it later, he didn't care.

"Interesting guy," said Jonouchi in a low voice.

"Don't let him bother you, Jonouchi-san, he's like that with everyone he meets," Yamazaki tried to reason with a nervous smile, "I'm sure he'll be gone for the rest of the night."

"He'd better be, unless he intends to take on Isono," Kaiba muttered gruffly, casting his gaze at his assistant's direction. He received an almost undetectable nod in return. Sugiura might be loaded, but he was also a complete, insufferable mess. There were only so many niceties Kaiba would afford him before Sugiura fell out of his good graces.

"Isn't that a bit harsh now, Kaiba-sama?" Yamazaki sighed as Mai rubbed his shoulders before handing him over another glass of wine. Clearly he wasn't going to ever leave that chair now. If he tried, he'd probably face plant on the floor.

"That won't be a problem," Jonouchi cut in. "I think I'm done for tonight. It's late and I'm tired. Thank you all for the delightful party." He bowed quickly before turning around and heading towards a door. Kaiba could feel his heart skip a beat before his body just followed after Jonouchi before his brain had a moment to soak in his words.

He'd barely uttered his goodbyes before he cut across the room after Jonouchi, finally catching up to him just outside in the hallway. Strangely, he didn't feel so tipsy anymore. "Let me call you a cab."

"Nah, I don't need a cab ride," chuckled Jonouchi before he put a hand through his hair. "Are you planning on staying?"

"I could find a reason to leave," Kaiba replied, staring directly into Jonouchi's eyes.

"Then would you mind taking me home?"

"Home…" The unspoken question hung in the air.

"Yeah. Will you come?"

The backs of their hands brushed as Kaiba led the way. "Yes. Let's go home."

Despite having drunk nearly the entire night, Kaiba had sobered up enough to drive them both back home. Mokuba had been nowhere to be seen - most likely in the thick of the party - and so Kaiba had left without him, trusting Isono to get him safely back home. Kaiba's mind felt oddly clear as he drove the familiar route back to the mansion, and he didn't feel nearly as unsettled at Jonouchi's silence during the ride back, the latter quickly dozing off in his seat.

Although Jonouchi didn't talk with nearly the amount of people he'd normally do at those types of gatherings, the evening must have worn him out. Or perhaps it was a release from the incident with his mother earlier, or maybe more - after all, Kaiba wasn't privy to what Jonouchi had done with his day until he'd encountered him upstairs in his office.

He knew he needed to apologize, but he didn't know how to go about it. Kaiba wasn't sorry for what he had done, although the way he'd done it wasn't the best approach in retrospect.

It wasn't even about control. Kaiba knew that Jonouchi was fully capable of making his own decisions, even if he didn't agree with half of them. But he'd stepped into an opportunity where his influence could have made a difference, and he'd taken it without much consideration as to how his actions would have made Jonouchi feel. Yet another set of ill-advised intentions.

In a blink of an eye, it seemed, they had arrived. One moment they were pulling out of the parking garage of headquarters, and the next, Kaiba was waiting as the gate to the driveway slowly creaked open. He'd only had to lightly touch Jonouchi's shoulder once to awaken him, and both made their way up silently to the master bedroom, the chill of a full-blown winter on their heels.

"What did you think of the party?" asked Jonouchi with a yawn as he went into the bathroom and scrounged around for an extra toothbrush. After finding one, he ripped the wrapper off before putting toothpaste on it and moistening it under the running faucet. "I didn't think it was so bad, outside of that one asshole who showed up at the end."

"Sugiura is a known menace," Kaiba replied as he shrugged his suit jacket off. "But it was fine. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, there were long lines to try out the game; Mokuba must be proud of himself."

"You seemed to be having a good time," laughed Jonouchi as he struggled with taking his formal clothes off, "which is pretty spectacular. What made you decide to be social for once?"

"I wanted to see how it felt to be you," Kaiba said honestly as he walked over to Jonouchi, moving the other's hands away to undo his tie. How had he even managed to knot it that tightly? The red fabric slipped easily from Jonouchi's neck.

"And? How was it?"

"I don't know," Kaiba mused as he absently undid the top three of Jonouchi's shirt buttons before he stopped himself. "It was nice in a way, but I don't think I would like maintaining that kind of wide attention for long." He stepped away to start undoing his own shirt.

Jonouchi quickly slipped out of his dress shirt, throwing it into the hamper before taking off his white undershirt and undoing his belt. "You know, it's not that awful," he continued, "I mean, I get that people exhaust you and all, but Yamazaki likes talking to you. He's interested in what you have to say. Nakahara admires you."

"They don't bother me…" Kaiba began, tugging his belt from his pants, "I even enjoy Yamazaki's company, although I don't see him often. I'm not built for much social interaction."

He was a showman, sure, but it was part of the job. Part of the title of being the former number-one Duelist in the world. He had to compel people's respect, enchant the masses for their buy-in. And he enjoyed it - was good at it. But when people started to peer in too closely, all he wanted was to be left alone.

"Wouldn't you like to have some other friends, though? It wouldn't be terrible to have other people to talk to."

"Jonouchi, I'm fine as I am."

In truth, he didn't know how to maintain a friendship. He and Jonouchi had been precarious at best before they started a relationship. Mokuba was family. At one point, he might have considered the other Yugi as a sort of friend - more than camaraderie or rivalry, but always falling short of trust - but that was a long time ago, and he was long gone.

"Okay, well... you should know, Kaiba, you have options. You don't always have to be alone if you don't want to. Not everyone's out to get you."

Sitting down at the edge of the bed, Jonouchi started rubbing his feet, smiling to himself as he went about it. Clearly, he still wasn't used to wearing formal shoes. The only shoes Kaiba normally saw him in were his ancient sneakers Jonouchi still refused to throw out.

"You might be surprised if you gave more people a chance," added Jonouchi in a small voice, "I mean, you used to hate me and look where we are now..."

Kaiba was folding his pants, mainly from habit, before he tossed them into the hamper. "Hate's pretty strong. I didn't like you, but I don't think it ever really registered as strongly as hate… But I see what you mean. I'm not sure I'm ready for that just yet."

Getting to where they were now had taken months of effort, not to mention years of knowing each other and getting tossed into situations where they had to tolerate one another. They had the dual help and hindrance of attraction along the way. Even now, they were still on moderately shaky ground, although things were starting to get better.

Moving to sit just behind and to the side of Jonouchi, Kaiba slid his hands up the other man's back, kneading at his shoulders. The muscles were taut under his fingertips, and Jonouchi slowly melted under his ministrations, gradually leaning back into the touch.

"What are you doing?" asked Jonouchi between small eruptions of laughter, "I didn't ask for a back massage."

"I just felt like it. I can stop," Kaiba said teasingly, pressing a light kiss at Jonouchi's neck.

"No, it's fine," mumbled Jonouchi as his face tinged a light shade of red across his cheeks, "I'm just surprised, is all. Are you trying to win my favor back after that mess you made with my mother?" Jonouchi snorted before shaking his head. "I'm glad you got her off my back, but I would have prefered handling her on my own."

His fingers traveled south, thumbs pressing into the curves of Jonouchi's shoulder blades. "Maybe I am. And I know, I shouldn't have done that. But I saw how upset you were getting, and I didn't like it."

"Then deal with it," replied Jonouchi, "She's not your responsibility, she's mine. Because when you do shit like that, all you do is upset _me_."

Jonouchi sighed and made a face.

"I wouldn't tell you how to handle Mokuba, so please give me the same respect. That's all I'm asking for."

Hands falling to Jonouchi's sides, Kaiba's forehead fell heavily against the nape of Jonouchi's neck. "I know," he murmured against Jonouchi's warm skin, "I only wanted to help."

"Snatching the phone out of my hands is not helping," laughed Jonouchi, "and if I wanted help, I'd ask you for it. Okay?"

"Noted."

"Good," replied Jonouchi with a small smile, "now we're finally getting somewhere."

"Oh? And where would you like us to go?" Kaiba asked, his hands resuming their exploration of Jonouchi's body. They snaked up his spine and down the backs of his biceps before trailing lightly against the outside of Jonouchi's thighs.

"I don't know. I'm tired, but not enough to sleep yet," commented Jonouchi as he turned his head slightly to watch what Kaiba was doing, closing his eyes once the initial confusion had passed. "Thanks for getting that Sugiura guy off my back, by the way. That's the kind of help I can appreciate."

His thumbs were grazing against the edge of Jonouchi's trousers, rubbing at the triangle of the small of his back. "Mm. I have some ideas to solve your first problem."

"Yeah, like what?" snorted Jonouchi as he turned around to watch Kaiba's gaze again, "Trying to tell me to get undressed already? I just finally got used to the fit of these pants you seem to like so much..."

"And they look good on you," Kaiba laughed, "but we're home now, so the uniform's not required anymore…" He took the opportunity to lean in and kiss Jonouchi gently, moving his lips slowly against the other's. It felt good to touch Jonouchi again this easily, and Kaiba felt a jolting in his chest when Jonouchi relaxed into the kiss.

When Jonouchi pulled away, he placed his hands around Kaiba's neck, moving closer until their knees were touching and Jonouchi was completely turned towards where Kaiba was sitting. "You know I like you, right?" he asked, "I don't want you to think I'm just using you or some shit. That last fight just really got to me.."

Kaiba wet his lips, surprised at the sudden trill of nervousness blooming in his stomach. "It's nice to hear it directly. I love you, but the way we fight constantly makes me wonder how you feel."

"Well, I was going through a lot of shit," admitted Jonouchi, "and I needed more time to think. I didn't feel immediately comfortable with this whole thing, you know? I'm not like you. I'm not as resilient to everything, and with all the crap going on with my family, it just got to be too much. I feel much better now."

"Why is it different now? Nevermind, you don't have to tell me." When Kaiba leaned in again, Jonouchi met him halfway.

What really did it matter what the reason was? They were finally on the same page, after months of struggling, and that was enough for Kaiba.

Jonouchi still had his arms around Kaiba's neck. He moved to the point of practically being in the man's lap, not at all shy about receiving the contact until Kaiba leaned forward. Pausing, Jonouchi pulled back suddenly, his eyes growing a tad wider before looking back slightly behind him. Taking a deep breath, he brought himself down against the mattress of the bed, leaning against his elbows as Kaiba came down with him before moving his legs apart to make space.

"Can you do me a favor?" he asked in a hushed voice, touching the hair on the back of Kaiba's nape with his fingertips before laying completely flat against the bed.

Kaiba shivered against the caress. He stared down at Jonouchi, palms flat against either side of the other's head. "Yes," he breathed.

"Please use a condom this time. I don't want a mess."

Kaiba broke into a fit of laughter, leaning heavily against Jonouchi's chest. "Is that all?"

"Yeah. That's all."

Propping himself up again, Kaiba stole a quick kiss before leaning across to fumble with the drawer of his nightstand. He felt around for the foil packet and the small bottle before tossing them both onto the bed.

His hands started roaming again, their kisses deepening before Kaiba's lips trailed their way down Jonouchi's neck, lightly nipping and teasing the supple skin. Jonouchi's arms found their way back around Kaiba's neck, and he let out tiny gasps as Kaiba rubbed at the fabric between his legs.

"Oh my god, just help me take it off, then," bursted Jonouchi as he tried not to laugh before Kaiba lifted himself up slightly. "I don't want to ruin these, anyways."

He fumbled with getting the zipper down. Kaiba tried not to snort. Jonouchi tried to pull them down past his hips, but the fabric was a tad tight, clinging onto them until Kaiba reached down to help. Once they came past there, it was easy enough to kick off, and with just black boxers in the way, Jonouchi slipped those off too before getting under the warm comforter of the bed.

Biting back a grin, Kaiba pulled his own boxer-briefs off before joining Jonouchi underneath the sheets, settling over him comfortably once again. He kissed Jonouchi lazily, threading one hand into Jonouchi's, pleasuring him with the other.

To Kaiba's mild surprise, Jonouchi reciprocated. He didn't seem nearly so reserved with his actions. It was new and exciting. Jonouchi rarely ever tried taking the lead on anything they did together, and once their kisses became more fervent, Kaiba felt thighs against his sides, a foot sliding against his calf.

His hands let go completely, settling back into Kaiba's hair before pulling him closer. Reaching up into Kaiba's ear, Jonouchi spoke very quietly before sighing, "I'm ready if you are. I want to do this."

Kaiba felt like his heart was about to burst. "Okay," he whispered, breaking apart to retrieve lubricant. Once they began, Kaiba leaned forward to kiss him in distraction, his other hand kneading at the muscles of Jonouchi's inner thigh. It didn't take long to get Jonouchi prepared. He was breathing deeply through his nose, watching Kaiba the entire while. And although Kaiba could feel desire welling in his gut, he felt oddly in control of himself, unlike all the other times. He felt completely aware of the present, of the rise and fall of Jonouchi's abdomen with each breath of air, the tiny tremors in Jonouchi's legs, his own steadily beating heart.

Carefully tearing at the edge of the packet, Kaiba prepared himself and tossed the wrapper aside. It felt strange, but he didn't have enough time to really think about it. Jonouchi's hands were tangled in his hair still, slightly pulling at him, and using one of his own to guide Jonouchi's hip closer until they were once again together.

Pausing to catch his breath, Kaiba blinked his eyes open, looking down as Jonouchi laid underneath him, breathing heavily. He felt warm and could feel his insides coiling as he waited to get a hold of himself, but he didn't feel that same fear of release. He was in control. It made him feel confident.

Jonouchi began to tug at him, and taking the cue to continue on, Kaiba began to pleasure him. His muscles felt tense, and Kaiba had one hand in Jonouchi's hair, holding tightly while the other was kneading into his sheets. Legs wrapped around him, Kaiba could feel himself becoming lost in the quick motions, Jonouchi moaning out encouragement.

It was different than the time before. Although Jonouchi's eyes weren't on him and Kaiba had his face in Jonouchi's neck, he felt like this time was far more intimate. He couldn't remember hearing his name being called before. His given name. It made his insides stirred. Jonouchi begged for more. Kaiba groaned as he pushed his endurance.

Until finally, together, they reached the climax.

Kaiba sank his teeth into Jonouchi's shoulder to quiet the sounds. Once he finished and he felt his shoulders tremble a little, Kaiba lifted himself up. Jonouchi still had his eyes closed, but he was at least breathing through his nose. The spot where Kaiba had bitten him was a little red, and kissing the area apologetically, he was shocked that his actions were met with laughter.

"It didn't hurt that much."

"Sorry, it just happened," Kaiba chuckled lightly. They were both sweaty and sticky, but Kaiba didn't feel like moving just yet.

Jonouchi only shifted slightly, relaxing his legs before playing with Kaiba's hair absentmindedly. "You were a beast."

Kaiba snorted in amusement, turning to rest his face against Jonouchi's collarbone.

"That was great," Jonouchi sighed, opening his eyes and peering at Kaiba's head as he finally caught his breath, "I should tell you that more often. I know you'd like to hear it."

"It doesn't hurt," Kaiba laughed, "I want you to enjoy what we do together, too."

"I know." Pausing again, Jonouchi stilled his hands, just holding them around Kaiba's neck lazily. "And I've been thinking... maybe we could make things work out between us. I want to move in with you. I wasn't ready for that before, but I think I'd like that now."

Eyes fluttering wide, Kaiba rose slightly, enough to meet Jonouchi's gaze. "But you just got that apartment-"

"I still have time to break the lease. I didn't even sign anything yet."

Settling back onto Jonouchi's chest, Kaiba wrapped his arms around Jonouchi tighter. "I want you to live here. To stay with me."

"Okay."

A peculiar warmth spread throughout Kaiba's body. He listened to Jonouchi's heartbeat, and for the first time in a very long time, didn't feel so alone. Sighing, he moved off of Jonouchi, kissing him once before heading to the bathroom to dispose of the condom and wash his hands. When he returned, Jonouchi was waiting for him, and they settled against each other, Kaiba resting his face close to Jonouchi's messy blond hair, before finally falling asleep.


	28. Chapter 28

Laying still in the giant mess of sheets and comforters that was Kaiba Seto's bed, Jonouchi thought in silence. The window curtains were pushed back enough to reveal snow falling down outside and putting fingers through his hair before sighing, Jonouchi suddenly realized that Christmas was soon approaching. He hadn't celebrated the holidays much as a child thanks to the lack of financial means and his cynical father, but this year, he thought about making an effort.

Well that, and he'd never had a relationship before really. He'd seen Anzu and the other girls gush over Christmas before in high school. Just from listening, he got a solid idea of what the entire thing involved. Silly gifts and chicken dinners with family, boys giving girls teddy bears and other cute crap and cards being exchanged between close friends. Jonouchi's father had disapproved of the entire thing, calling it a "mockery", but Jonouchi wasn't sure if he agreed with his father's assessment. Then again, he'd never seen Christmas celebrated anywhere else besides Japan.

It was only two weeks away.

Looking back behind his shoulder, Jonouchi could see Kaiba still sleeping behind him. His nostrils rose and fell each time he breathed and his long eyelashes curled against his face as he slept. It was strange watching him so relaxed, since usually Kaiba had a rather strained expression while awake, and Jonouchi couldn't stop himself from smiling.

Things were getting better between them. Jonouchi was making an effort, and he could tell that Kaiba was, too. The conversation between himself and Mokuba still echoed in his brain whenever Kaiba did something that pissed him off, "_I don't think Nii-sama means anything bad by it; he's been programmed that way. He has to be right, or otherwise very bad things could happen._" His behavior wasn't going to change overnight. Jonouchi understood that. Kaiba was so used to taking charge of situations and reacting quickly to things that he probably didn't realize when he was doing it.

It had taken a lot out of Jonouchi not to flip his lid when Kaiba snatched the phone out of his hands. He felt disregarded, at first, but once the initial bad feelings had dissipated and he was allowed to cool down at the party, he understood that Kaiba had meant well by it. He thought he was doing the right thing. Probably heard enough of Jonouchi's conversation with his crazy mother to get that the argument was going around in circles and no one was budging. Jonouchi certainly didn't want to be a doormat to his mother anymore, and he was sick of being guilted into giving up money for Shizuka's benefit.

Especially since Kawai was now remarried. It wasn't like she didn't have any money.

There was no pleasing the woman. No matter what Jonouchi did, he was still an ungrateful son who disappointed everyone and Jonouchi could see now that his mother's outlook on him would never change. She would hate him probably until the end of her life, just because he reminded her of the failed marriage she had with a foreigner.

Kaiba had successfully managed to shut her up, probably for good. Unsurprisingly, Jonouchi didn't receive any text messages when he checked his phone on the beside table, and that was a great relief. He didn't want his family straining his relationship with Kaiba any longer.

"-_all I can say is if it feels right and makes you happy, then why not just go for it? Different isn't a bad thing; it's just different. It almost sounds like you aren't allowing yourself to be happy_."

He still had Mokuba's words stuck in his head. The more he thought about it, the more it all made sense. Sure, Kaiba got on his nerves, a lot. Sometimes he was bossy and needy and pushy and it all became overwhelming, but Jonouchi knew he wasn't perfect himself. He could be loud, brash, insensitive, and sometimes would throw tantrums when he got angry. It wasn't a good way to treat someone he cared about, and Jonouchi decided to make that effort to change. Even when Kaiba was being ugly, he didn't deserve that kind of treatment and Jonouchi didn't want anymore stupid fights erupting between them.

It was time to become more honest with himself. He cared about Kaiba a lot. More than that, he couldn't see how he'd be able to function without Kaiba if the relationship was to fail. Being alone again was a terrifying prospect. Kaiba made him happy, and more importantly, the relationship was the most secure thing Jonouchi had had in a long time. Sure, dealing with the societal ramifications of a taboo romance with another man was daunting, but Kaiba seemed to think Jonouchi was worth it.

Maybe it was time that Jonouchi felt the same way.

Kaiba was still fast asleep. Jonouchi shifted, laying his head back into his pillow as he felt Kaiba's nose dig into his hair. The arms caught around his waist only tightened and half of Kaiba's body was laying down across Jonouchi's back and ass. He didn't mind it usually, though. The room was drafty thanks to the giant windows that surrounded half the walls of the room, and Kaiba kept Jonouchi from freezing at night.

Waking up to the feeling of morning wood pressing against him was sometimes awkward, though. Jonouchi had laughed the first time it had happened, but now he just felt irritated and using his elbow, he bumped Kaiba a few times to wake him up.

"Your junk is annoying me."

Kaiba merely mumbled incoherently, shifting and pressing closer to Jonouchi, still obviously knocked out. There were a few quiet seconds where Jonouchi thought that maybe Kaiba was starting to wake up, but then he heard a soft snore from behind him.

It didn't feel comfortable at all, and losing his patience, Jonouchi turned around and tried moving away before actually smacking Kaiba hard on the forearm. "Get off," Jonouchi grumbled, "snuggle time is over."

"Shit," Kaiba grumbled equally in return, rubbing at his forearm. He was bleary-eyed and disoriented, and faintly scowled at Jonouchi. "What are you, some heathen? That actually hurt."

"I told you to move and you wouldn't," snapped Jonouchi as he shifted away and turned to lay on his back, "so don't get mad at me for waking you up. Now, I'm hungry. You should get me breakfast."

Popping his head up, Kaiba scooted towards the nightstand, flung an arm out, and fumbled around. He tossed his phone over towards Jonouchi's direction before flopping back down onto the bed and settling back in. "Dial three. Get whatever you want."

"That's not very romantic, Kaiba."

"Neither is slapping me awake." He sighed, rolling onto his back. His eyes were open now, and he stared at the ceiling. "It's my only day off; I don't want to be up this early," he groaned. "And besides, you'll have to start getting used to the staff since you'll be living here."

Jonouchi pouted. He didn't exactly like the sound of that, but what could he do about it? The house had staff, as strange as that was for Jonouchi. Kaiba was probably right in getting used to it.

"That doesn't mean you can't try at least being more suave about it instead of throwing a phone at me," sighed Jonouchi. He looked at Kaiba, who appeared to be ignoring him. Moving to his side, he sat his head on Kaiba's shoulder, his eyes begging for attention. "I thought you liked me."

Kaiba's eyes shifted to the side, staring at Jonouchi blankly before a puff of laughter escaped him. "Don't try that on me," he said, a small smirk playing on his lips, "it won't work." He reached across and gently tugged at a lock of Jonouchi's hair, rubbing the strands between his fingertips.

"Please," Jonouchi asked softly, "I want you to order for me."

"Have you forgotten I raised a teenager?" His smile betrayed his reluctance, though, and he plucked the phone from Jonouchi's grasp. Holding the phone up to his ear, he looked down at Jonouchi as he spoke, his hand still idly combing through Jonouchi's hair, "Yes, a traditional breakfast. Make two. No, bring a cart up." Tossing the phone back onto the nightstand, Kaiba briefly stretched his entire body as he lay. "It'll be ready in thirty."

"That wasn't so hard."

"I hope you don't mind. I couldn't stomach anything heavy after all the crap from last night."

"That's fine," said Jonouchi as he pulled himself up from the bed, "I don't want to get sick, either. I'm gonna take a shower. Don't miss me too much."

He wasn't so quick to jump out of bed, since his body was achy still from the night before, but Jonouchi still was able to walk quickly into the bathroom before shutting the door behind him. Although he wasn't a very modest person, Jonouchi liked to remain somewhat dignified, if at all possible. Usually it wasn't, but he liked to dream.

Dignity was hard to maintain or even fake, considering his rather colorful history. But Kaiba had always managed to appear so, even at his worst. Letting the hot water fall over him, Jonouchi wondered why that was - how they could be so similar in ways, yet intrinsically different.

Perhaps it really did come down to family. Jonouchi's own - at least his parents - were always bringing him down, while Kaiba had shed his past, excepting his brother, and never looked back. He had done what he needed to to survive, keeping his head held high the entire time.

Perhaps that was the difference - the shame that permeated Jonouchi's life. His roots, his upbringing, his gang history. He'd been a crappy student and a crappy Duelist, but he'd worked hard to fix the latter. But even when something good had happened - possibly the best things that might happen in his life - Jonouchi's shame had threatened to push that away, too.

He was starting to get over it. It didn't feel as strange as before. He thought he probably should have felt more anxious the previous night, when he and Kaiba had bordered on obvious, but at least Mai hadn't said anything outright if she noticed. If Jonouchi's instincts were right - and they usually were - then Mai knew and didn't care, probably accepted it and would want the details later. The overwhelming feeling of acceptance made his eyes prickle, and Jonouchi scrubbed at them fiercely before hurrying to finish the rest of his shower.

Kaiba was completely awake by the time Jonouchi emerged from the bathroom, having made the bed and thrown on a pair of charcoal pajama bottoms. He'd apparently collected a few items from his office while Jonouchi had been away (Jonouchi was getting the feeling that he'd never break Kaiba of his workaholic habits): Kaiba was hunched over his laptop, a few small packets lying on the bed beside him. They were curious - regular white mailing envelopes that didn't look like they had anything to do with work, but Jonouchi decided to mind his business and refrain from asking.

"I thought this was your day off?"

"The media begs to differ," Kaiba replied, closing the lid of his laptop. "I was just trying to preempt work for tomorrow."

"I know it's cold outside and all, but we could still go do something together," suggested Jonouchi as he pulled out a pair of boxers and fumbled trying to put them on gracefully, "I mean, if you want to. I'll brave the cold to go out and do something fun."

"Do you have any suggestions? Remember, I'm the student when it comes to fun," Kaiba teased as he scooted the computer away. There was a short knock on the door, and Kaiba lept up to answer, returning with a sizeable cart full of covered platters. Jonouchi had a brief moment of panic when he realized that Kaiba had gone to the door while he'd still been half-naked, but by the time the door had opened, the outside hall had been empty.

"Oh, I don't know," replied Jonouchi as he quickly got a shirt on. He didn't want to risk anyone catching him unawares and still half-naked. "We could go to the mall. I'm sure you'd at least enjoy clothes shopping, right?"

Pulling the trays from the cart, Kaiba carefully set them on the bed and uncovered them, a soft billow of steam rising out. "I guess if that's what you want to do. You don't have much in way of winter clothes, anyway."

"I'm pretty sure I have enough still from that giant load I got when you first hired me on, but if you feel like spending ridiculous amounts of money on me buying designer clothes, I won't stop you," joked Jonouchi.

He approached the cart, taking a tray off from the top and sitting down on the bed before joining Kaiba in sipping his miso soup. There was also rice, fruit, salmon, poached eggs, and green tea. Jonouchi wasn't sure what to taste next.

Kaiba tapped the edge of his soup bowl twice against his lips before downing the rest of it and setting it aside. "I guess we'll have to start thinking about how to move your stuff in here, and where you'd like to keep it."

"Yeah, eventually," replied Jonouchi, "but we should go do something fun now. It's your day off and you're just sitting there in bed doing work and whatever else with those letters. Don't you want to go out?"

"About that…" Kaiba mushed his poached eggs around in their tiny bowl, the innards congealing around his chopsticks. "I didn't know when to bring this up, but I don't want us to start off with secrets, either."

"What are you talking about?" Jonouchi cocked an eyebrow before setting his food down. "What secrets?"

Kaiba reached behind him, collecting the four nearly-identical envelopes and offering them to Jonouchi. "These are yours. They arrived at the office while you were out these past two weeks."

Taking them, Jonouchi noticed the foreign postage immediately. It was addressed from the United States, and he felt his heart sink immediately. Jonouchi knew who was mailing him before even trying to translate the name on the envelope. It was his father.

Ripping open the closest one, Jonouchi only skimmed through the contents before wrinkling up the entire thing. At least the old man had the decency to write in kanji. Jonouchi could barely make out English. But he didn't have to read much before understanding that his father was asking for money...again.

"I can't believe this," Jonouchi muttered," after disappearing on me and not saying a damn word. He is unbelievable. I tried to give him a chance, and he just keeps doing this shit to me..."

Getting up quickly, Jonouchi stomped out of the room and into the office nearby. He was on a mission, not even hearing Kaiba walking behind him as he opened the door and ran to the shredder, taking all four of his father's letters and cramming them through until it was nothing but a pile of shavings.

"There. I'm done."

It had felt good. The release wouldn't be as good as saying that in the man's face, but Jonouchi had to settle with what he could get. Destroying the letters would have to be enough for him.

"You're sure?"

"Yeah." Jonouchi was a bit surprised to find Kaiba standing behind him, still in just his pajama pants. "I don't want to see anything by him again."

"I'll notify mail services to refuse correspondences from that address, then." Kaiba gently laid a hand on Jonouchi's shoulder. "Come on, the food's getting cold."

They didn't reach the city center until well after noon. Breakfast had been taken at a leisurely pace, the mood somewhat dampened by Kaiba's revelation. Jonouchi had retreated afterward, roaming the many halls of Kaiba Mansion on his phone, trying to work out the details of breaking his apartment lease and scheduling meet-ups with Honda and Sugoroku to retrieve his belongings. Mokuba had tossed Kaiba a curious look upon Jonouchi's third loop around the house, but Kaiba merely shook his head silently, busying himself with work.

Shopping, though, had been a success. Domino City didn't have quite the upscale selection that Tokyo did, but Jonouchi had insisted that the local mall was fine, even when Kaiba had offered to call in some special orders. It had been nice to just spend time together, going up and down the aisles and pausing whenever something had caught Jonouchi's eyes, and Kaiba was surprised at how relaxed he felt alongside Jonouchi, even though the latter still seemed a bit... off.

Kaiba could tell, even though Jonouchi was trying to hide it. He would alternate between over-enthusiasm and sullenness, retreating into himself before attempting to shake it off with a burst of unbridled energy. Despite Jonouchi being resolute in his decision, it was evident that the whole mess with his father still tore him up inside.

But there was nothing Kaiba could do about it, so he simply stayed quiet and let Jonouchi be, riding along the current of his shifting moods.

One parka, a pair of gloves and a scarf, three pairs of jeans, five sweaters, and a pair of winter boots later, it was nearly six in the evening. Time had contracted in that tiny shopping mall, neither of them noticing its passing or that they had wandered the shops and corridors without even breaking for lunch until Jonouchi's stomach had interrupted their spree rather vocally.

Too drained and overloaded with shopping bags to bother with going to a proper restaurant, Kaiba and Jonouchi commandeered a booth in the food court, stuffing the many bags into the corner of the seats. The food seemed to revive Jonouchi markedly, and as Kaiba sipped the shoyu broth of his ramen, he wondered how it came to be that half a year ago, he'd been sitting in this very food court spying on the man across from him, bent on screwing him over, and here they were, eating together amicably.

Willingly.

Kaiba wasn't one for expressing thankfulness verbally - that trait had been beaten out of him by Gozaburo long ago. But in this parallel moment of revised history, Kaiba swore to himself that he would do everything in his power to protect this sliver of happiness.

"I want to drink tonight," Jonouchi announced abruptly, dolloping a spoonful of chili paste into his bowl. "How about it?"

It was an unexpected - although not unwarranted - request. They (or at least Kaiba) had drunk a respectful amount the night before at the launch party, and alcohol had led them down rather messy paths in the past.

"Alright," Kaiba agreed, "there are a number of bars in the area. It's cold out, anyway, so a few drinks would be good for warming up before we head home."

"Any bar in particular that you'd like to go to?" asked Jonouchi. "I'm not really that knowledgeable about the more trendy places in town, so you'll have to show me. I just want to chill out a little."

"I've been to a few for business," Kaiba replied, taking a bite of his narutomaki, "but they were all pretty rowdy places. There's a jazz lounge up the street, but I don't think that's really your speed. I just usually end up drinking at the hotel, since they know how I like my drinks.

"But I don't care. We can go anywhere."

"Surprise me!" Jonouchi laughed before shaking his head, "I might like a jazz bar, you know. It could be cool. I don't care where we go, as long as you promise to have some fun with me tonight."

Kaiba shook his drink cup, stabbing at the ice with his straw. "Hmm...finish up here, then. I think I have a place in mind."

Jonouchi was quick to finish his ramen. It was apparent to Kaiba that he didn't want to waste their night eating, for once, and grabbing his bags, Jonouchi quietly followed Kaiba out to the car before stuffing everything in the backseat. There wasn't much room, though, and Jonouchi seemed amused at that as Kaiba rolled his eyes. Probably thought little sports cars were ridiculous, but Kaiba didn't care.

The sun was completing its descent past the horizon, painting the sky in shades of dark purple smeared with glowing pink. The days were becoming shorter and shorter, and as Kaiba drove through the city, he found he couldn't remember the last time he'd watched the sun set.

Jonouchi turned to him with a curious expression when they pulled into the basement of Kaiba Hotel's parking garage, but Kaiba answered him with a grin, "Don't worry, we're not going inside. We'll have to walk a little to get there, but this is the closest place to park."

"I wasn't worried," replied Jonouchi as he got out of the car. His face still looked a bit confused, however, when he walked behind Kaiba, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jacket.

"Hey Kaiba," Jonouchi said after a few minutes of silence, walking through a crowd of people in varying levels of sobriety, "do you like celebrating the holidays at all? Christmas and New Years are coming, you know."

"I've never really done it," Kaiba admitted, "They've always occurred around the end of the quarter, so I've always been preoccupied with work, and Mokuba never pressed the issue. So I can't really say I like it or dislike it." They turned a corner and trekked uphill, keeping close to the streetlamps blinking on overhead.

"Well... would you be interested in trying with me? It's not like I could afford to do much, years past, but it could be fun."

"Sure," Kaiba said as he secured his scarf tighter around his face, "I'll leave the planning to you, then, since I don't know a thing about it."

"What." Jonouchi snorted before shaking his head. "Christmas is supposed to be like, romantic couple shit and stuff. I thought you'd be better at that sort of thing than me."

"I wine and dine you all the time," Kaiba laughed as he reached for the knob of a rather worn-looking door, "I'd like to know what I'm missing out on."

"It's supposed to be special. Like... I don't know, I haven't done it before." Jonouchi's face scrunched up as he started power walking to keep up with Kaiba's brisk pace. "Think of it as an excuse to have more sex with me, how about that?"

Kaiba snorted, pulling the door open and being assaulted by a blast of heat. "Do I ever need an excuse?" he teased, holding the door as Jonouchi stepped through.

The place couldn't even be called a proper izakaya. It was small and dark, an old bar with stools extending along the back corner, tattered leather booths along the side, and a small number of tables sprinkled across the remaining open space throughout. The floor underfoot was faintly sticky in areas, a large heating lamp by the entrance radiating its warmth into the room.

Still fairly early, the bar was sparsely populated: an old man was perched on one of the end stools, a trio of salarymen crowded around a table to the left, and a rather rough-looking woman touching up her makeup in a booth by herself. Kaiba looked around, eyes catching the barkeep's.

Making his way towards the back, Kaiba took a seat on one of the stools a distance away from the other occupant's space. Jonouchi took the seat next to him, bouncing his knee repeatedly as he looked around the place.

"It's kinda dingy in here. You've been to this place before?"

"Mm, it's where I go when the hotel bar's too crowded," Kaiba answered as the bartender approached. "Hanabusa-san," he acknowledged as the man unceremoniously dumped two large steins of beer in front of them.

"Kaiba-sama," Hanabusa returned with a grunt and a nod before retreating back to his corner seat.

Jonouchi traced the rim of his glass of beer, his eyes staring at the condensation that was beginning to drip. "Why?"

Kaiba drew one of the mugs closer, playing with its handle. "The proprietor, Hanabusa," Kaiba tilted his head towards the gruff bartender; he was short and somewhat stocky, the build of a retired fisherman, and wore a twisted hachimaki around his shaved head. "He's a man of few accommodations and even fewer words," Kaiba continued. "He serves your order, and that's it. He doesn't try to engage in empty pleasantries, or psychoanalyze you, or push drinks so that you'll spill your secrets. I like that."

"...Is this the place where you go to sad drink, Kaiba?" asked Jonouchi innocently.

"I don't sad drink," Kaiba scoffed lightly, taking a sip from the large mug, "I stress drink."

"Whichever. It still makes me a little upset to hear that you were doing that all alone."

"I didn't really mind at the time," Kaiba said, leaning onto the bar with his elbow, cradling his cheek in his hand and observing Jonouchi, "It was hard to feel lonely when you didn't even realize it - when you didn't feel connected much to anything."

"Things couldn't have been that bad," offered Jonouchi, "your life was more interesting than mine."

"That's debatable. My life was my job; in many ways, it still is. I didn't have much to work towards. It was the same thing every day, and things only got worse when a rebellious teenager was thrown into the mix." Kaiba looked down as he spoke, drawing abstract shapes with the condensation collecting on the bar top. When he put it into words, his life really did seem depressing. He looked up. "At least you had something to work towards. A fledgling career. A day job you found fulfilling…"

"Yeah, and I was constantly worrying about being able to afford my apartment, among other things," sighed Jonouchi. "It wasn't that great. I'd rather be bored and comfortable than being excitedly poor. I mean, it wasn't so bad when I first got out of high school, but yeah...

"Didn't you at least get to go to America? I thought you and Mokuba took off there after you blew up the Duel Tower."

Raising his mug to his lips, Kaiba took a long swig, enjoying the way the beer fizzled and burned down his throat. "America was a good distraction, but ultimately it revolved entirely around the business. A minor escape."

"Well... What was it like?"

"Open," Kaiba began. "It's nowhere near as claustrophobic as here. Large roads, and even larger expanses of nature. The people are all very open, too, and curious. Inquisitive, even. And loud. It was different in ways I can't describe. Their mindset is completely different. Americans value collaboration and potential; it's not like here, all hierarchical. I think you'd probably like it there."

"Really? Are they all as loud as I am?" asked Jonouchi as he slumped over slightly on the bar top and sipped his beer.

Kaiba laughed, taking another gulp - his glass was already halfway done. "You've met some of them; what do you think?"

"I think it depends on the person, but they are pretty loud," Jonouchi replied, "I mean, the ones I've run into. But not too many foreigners in general come to Domino, so I don't know. I've only met a few in the Dueling circuit. You'd know more than I do. The only American I know really well is my father, and I don't want to believe that everyone over there is like him."

"No, I wouldn't say so. On the whole, I'd even pin them as generous. Some will bend over backwards to help a stranger. But I think you'll find people cut from the same cloth as your father anywhere…"

"I guess." Jonouchi went quiet for a moment before drinking more of his beer, sighing a little. "But he wasn't always a stupid drunk. When I was younger, before Shizuka got so sick, he used to take me to baseball games. He'd buy me model kits and showed me how to fix a bike. He was actually a normal father until things turned really bad.

"I don't know if he was even normal, actually, compared to how other dads here are like. I know Anzu's father didn't spend much time with her... I've never even seen Yugi's before."

Kaiba twisted in his seat, crossing his legs and readjusting his balance against the bar. Behind him, a roar of laughter erupted. "I didn't really know my own father," Kaiba mused. "He was around sometimes, but he worked a lot. My mother was the one who cared for me. When she died, my father became even more distant."

"That's really unfortunate." Jonouchi frowned before squinting his nose, "I mean, I'm glad I at least knew mine before he turned ugly. At least that's something."

"At least that's something," Kaiba agreed, raising his mug and finishing it off. Another materialized in front of him before he'd even set the empty one back down. "Were you able to work out everything with your almost-landlord?" he asked, changing gears. Dwelling on family matters would only perpetuate a depressive night.

"Yeah. I got things figured out. He wasn't happy, but whatever."

Jonouchi went silent for a while before finishing off his own beer, looking around at the other guys in the bar before glancing back at Kaiba.

"...You were seeing someone back in America, weren't you? A bartender? I couldn't imagine that."

"It wasn't anything serious," Kaiba said, "for either of us."

"Still. Tell me about it, I'm curious."

Kaiba's voice was colored with amusement, "What's there to say? I was alone in a foreign land. My days were spent at work, and instead of wasting my nights away in my hotel room, I wandered from bar to bar until I found one I liked. He was attractive and didn't expect anything."

"Didn't he know who you were," inquired Jonouchi, "I mean even there, they must know about you. It's not like you're not a little famous."

"If he did, he didn't let on. I appreciated the anonymity."

"Hmm..."

Pausing, Jonouchi barely noticed his empty beer being replaced with a full one. He blinked before shaking his head and smiling at Kaiba, "What did he look like?"

Kaiba regarded Jonouchi from behind his beer mug, sipping slowly. He felt uneasy withholding information now that their relationship was on more solid ground, but he couldn't quite figure out where Jonouchi was going with this, either. "Does it matter?" he asked lightly.

"Come on, Kaiba, just tell me."

"He was tall. Broader than you. Dark brown hair and darker eyes, a perpetual five o'clock shadow. Tanned, but I think it was his natural coloring."

"Why didn't you go any further with it then? Was he not interesting enough?"

The front door snapped open, a gust of cold air accompanying the two older salarymen who entered and beelined for a table near the heater. "I wasn't looking for a relationship, and neither was he. It was a way to pass time with tolerable company."

Kaiba knew it sounded harsh, but it was the truth. Before, if he found someone interesting and agreeable enough, he could allow himself to indulge in a simple fling. Merely bodily maintenance, with as little feelings invested possible. That part had always been easy.

"Was he the only guy, then?"

"No."

Jonouchi smiled before laughing. "Tell me about the rest of them."

"You act like I had a whole laundry list," Kaiba laughed. "There were only two others. One was a one-night stand with a potential investor. It was after a party, we both were drunk, and he had been making eyes at me the entire night. He disappeared right after - he was pretty well-known, and I think the reality of a possible gay scandal freaked him out. The other was the son of a business partner. We saw each other off and on, but it never went anywhere, and then it ended when his father arranged a marriage."

"A potential investor!" laughed Jonouchi loudly as he drank more of his beer, eyes nearly popping out of his skull. For a moment, he forgot himself. "Hahahaha, I never thought for a million years you'd be that ballsy and do something like that. Oh my god, were you like trying to give him a deal he couldn't refuse?" Jonouchi broke into loud laughter again, "I guess you didn't quite convince him."

Snorting, Kaiba drank more of his beer, the drink sloshing up as he banged the glass back against the bar top. "I think I convinced him a little too easily, that was the problem. Whatever. I didn't give two shits in America over how they perceived me. I don't really care much here, either, but I don't want to unnecessarily burden Mokuba or my employees, either."

"O_hhhhh_," laughed Jonouchi before he grinned even wider, "so he was American, too? Tell me, Kaiba, have you ever fucked a Japanese person and enjoyed it, or just foreigners?"

His own grin spread across his face, "I'm looking right at him."

"I guess, although my father liked to remind me plenty of times that I still wasn't one of them," Jonouchi pointed out. "I only count for half."

"You were born and raised here. You share the mentality of the people here. I'd hardly classify you as foreign just because one of your parents happens to be."

"I don't feel so special anymore," snorted Jonouchi.

"Special can be overrated," Kaiba said. He was starting to feel warm, the edges of his vision going soft. "If it's any consolation, you're special to me," he grinned, leaning forward a little.

"That's because I'm one of only a few who can put up with you," laughed Jonouchi. "So you've only been with three people before me, huh? I guess that's not so bad."

"Three men," Kaiba corrected. "But you're the one that matters…"

"We're not talking about me," pointed out Jonouchi. "Are you drunk already?"

"Not yet," Kaiba hummed. "Why can't we talk about you?"

"Because... I don't want to talk about me." Jonouchi smiled easily before drinking more of his beer. The glass was almost empty now. It had been replaced before Jonouchi could finish it. "It's embarrassing."

He was already on his third tall beer. The noise level in the room had elevated, a steady, jolting vibration, but not yet to the point of rowdiness. "Then we can continue talking about me," Kaiba offered, grinning devilishly. "What is it about me that you like?"

Jonouchi's eyes widened again before he spoke. "Uhhh... I don't know," he answered after a pause. "You warmed up on me, don't ask me questions like that after I've been drinking. I can't come up with coherent thoughts, you know? You try answering a question like that...

"I just do. Isn't that good enough?"

"For now," Kaiba replied. A pleasant buzz occupied his head, spreading down his body. Somehow his drink was already at the halfway point. "Can I expect an answer when you haven't been drinking?" He sighed, his vision flickering from Jonouchi to across the room and back. "I guess it doesn't really matter, although it would be nice to know what I'm doing right."

"Maybe."

He didn't expect an answer, in all honesty. It had taken so much for Jonouchi to even _admit _he had deeper feelings for Kaiba. For him to dissect those feelings, put them into words...Kaiba wouldn't hold his breath. Just knowing would have to be enough.

"Are you drunk yet?" Kaiba asked, returning Jonouchi's own question from just moments earlier.

"A little bit." Jonouchi sipped at his glass again, smiling underneath the rim. "Why?"

"No reason," Kaiba murmured. "Do you want to be?"

"Do you want me to be drunk?"

"Drinking was your idea. Surely you had a point of intoxication in mind," Kaiba teased.

"Not really," snorted Jonouchi as he played with the rim of his glass. "I was going to drink until I didn't feel like drinking anymore. If you're done, you can always feel free to just watch."

Tipping his mug back, Kaiba drank until it was empty. "No, I'll continue. Like you said, drinking alone isn't so fun."

"I used to drink a lot with my friend Honda," mused Jonouchi. "When his dad and mom would go away for the weekend or whatever, we'd use our fake IDs to buy cases of beer and drink it all before they'd come back. Back in the day, I used to think that was great shit, but now it's just so boring. I guess once it becomes legal, the fun starts to fade away," mused Jonouchi. "Did you party at all in America, Kaiba?"

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. He tugged his scarf loose and felt a sudden coldness by his elbow - a fourth beer. "You've seen me at parties. Do I look like a partier?"

"I don't know," laughed Jonouchi, "you didn't look like a playboy to me, either, but apparently you have more game than I first thought."

Rolling his eyes, Kaiba replied exasperatedly, "I'm experienced, but that doesn't make me a playboy."

Did it? He didn't think so. Sure, sex before Jonouchi had been an empty, meaningless venture. Exciting at times, but certainly without depth or emotional attachment. He hadn't been seeking that, either.

Not even with Jonouchi. Everything just happened of its own accord, Kaiba submitting reluctantly to what apparently had been an inevitability. Somehow he'd fallen in love, like it or not, and there had been no changing it.

"I bet you wished you were a playboy," teased Jonouchi as he finished his glass and waved his hand drunkenly, "back in the day, with all your money and fancy-ass clothes. It's no wonder you were so busy before meeting me, huh?"

Four people wasn't really that much, but Jonouchi apparently wasn't going to spare his teasing anytime soon.

"Were you at least nervous with the first guy you fooled around with?"

"Not really," Kaiba answered, watching the tiny bubbles in his drink float in streams to the surface. "The male body is more familiar; if anything, I felt more confident. I was too drunk for any nerves to set in, anyway."

"How could you not be nervous?" Jonouchi sighed as he looked down at his fingers, dragging one slowly across the polished wood of the bar, "I was always nervous. No getting around that."

Sometime along the night, the bar had filled to half-occupancy. All of the booths were taken, as well as most of the tables. Kaiba and Jonouchi were the only ones remaining at the bar itself, the older man at the end having left at some point. Kaiba hadn't even noticed the change. "Sex, when considered from its physical basis, is easy. You perform certain acts to achieve a desired outcome. There was nothing to be nervous about.

"Intimacy is different," he continued, "When emotions become involved, that's when things start to become muddled."

"How about this," added Jonouchi, "I get nervous because I don't want to mess up. That's all there is to it."

"Performance anxiety," Kaiba assessed. "You're overthinking things - it's a self-fulfilling prophecy."

"Whatever... performance anxiety. I'm not even the one doing most of the work. It can't be performance anxiety."

"Then is 'not wanting to mess up' really all there is to it?"

"I don't know..." Jonouchi mumbled as he played with his glass some more. "How could you not ever get nervous? You're not perfect, you mess up sometimes."

Kaiba reached over and swiped a line with the pad of his index finger down the side of Jonouchi's glass, dragging it across the countertop to the edge of his own. He watched as it slowly evaporated. "It's not something I worry about. As long as both parties come out satisfied, what difference does it make? Sex is messy; it's unpredictable - you're in the moment. I try not to think of other things when I'm enjoying someone's company in that way. It would be a waste."

"So... you've never messed up before in the moment?" asked Jonouchi.

"If I did, no one ever complained."

Sighing, Kaiba picked up his mug and swirled it around, watching the tiny cyclone inside dissipate before drinking. "The bartender," Kaiba said, staring down into his glass. His reflection rippled in the pale yellow liquid. "I'd had too much to drink one night, and the most important part, shall we say, had its own problems 'performing.' Being around alcohol so much, he was used to it and just amused. Even offered to fuck me instead, but I refused. I ended up passing out anyway. He just laughed it off the next morning, but I didn't find it quite as humorous."

"You couldn't get it up, so you passed out at his place after he proposed to screw you instead?" gaped Jonouchi. "You trusted him to let you sleep it off? You're a braver man than I am, Kaiba, I would have freaked the hell out."

Snorting, Jonouchi rubbed his nose before sipping at his glass again. He wasn't going to have any more, though, since he could hardly keep his attention on any one thing as Kaiba spoke to him.

"At least the guy didn't care. I would have been mortified."

"Tactful as ever," Kaiba deadpanned, finishing off the fourth. He held his hand up briefly, declining a refill - he could feel the beer heavy in his stomach, sloshing around and waiting to be absorbed. "I wouldn't call it a matter of trust; I had been beyond inebriated and obviously made a questionable decision to go with him. Luckily for me, he was a respectful person and quite used to dealing with drunks."

"I thought alcohol killed sexual desire," laughed Jonouchi. "But you came to him for a booty call regardless?"

"Alcohol is a peculiar substance," Kaiba replied, eyes trailing from Jonouchi's glass to around the bar, staring at its other patrons, "It removes inhibitions and encourages the seeds of desire, yet at the same time often thwarts the parts that require doing the action." He smirked a little, finally finding the humor in the absurdness of that night once he thought about it. "It only happened that one time."

"What if it happened again," mused Jonouchi as he smiled a little and played with the hair at the back of his neck, twirling it in his fingers, "would you just sleep it off and leave me disappointed? I guess you can't really help it if your dick doesn't want to cooperate."

Snorting, Kaiba leaned in close, so close that he could feel the heat rising off of Jonouchi's cheek and lips nearly touching his ear, and whispered, "Maybe I'd let you fuck me." He laughed as he pulled away, snatching Jonouchi's still-mostly-full mug and taking a sip.

It was as though the soul left Jonouchi's body. His eyes grew wide, and Kaiba couldn't even see his eyebrows, they had risen so far up underneath his thick bangs. His mouth had gone abruptly slackjaw before he snapped it shut and leaned back, squinting at Kaiba as though he had just sprouted a second head.

Then his face broke out red across his cheeks, neck, and ears. Jonouchi must have noticed, because he quickly hid his face in his hands, making a grumbling noise as he did so.

Kaiba laughed out loud, a hand slapping against the bar top. It was almost endearing how embarrassed and shocked Jonouchi looked, and Kaiba couldn't help but take advantage of that. He leaned in close again, staring up at Jonouchi's shielded face and pressing the toe of his shoe against Jonouchi's calf. "I know you've thought of it…"

"Not in any kind of serious way," mumbled Jonouchi through his hands as he fidgeted in his seat. "Maybe a curious thought once or twice, in passing. But that's all."

Shaking his head, Jonouchi finally uncovered his face and put his hands through his hair before sighing. "You can't be serious about the offer. You're drunk. We should probably head back, anyways, before I fall off this bar stool or do something else just as equally stupid."

"Heading back would be an impossibility," Kaiba declared, his fingers crawling along the edge of the bar. "There's no way I'm driving tonight. We'll just have to stay at the hotel...if we can make it there." He pushed the half-full stein away, reaching into his coat and retrieving several thousand yen bills and dumping them between their glasses. Testing his weight on his feet, Kaiba rose and stood, bracing himself against the bar as the sudden movement sent his vision spinning.

He looked back down at the bar. Those mugs had been much, much bigger than he remembered.

"Yeah, your hotel isn't that far away, Kaiba," bemused Jonouchi as he waggled his finger, "we walked here, don't you remember?"

"Yes, but we also drove here," Kaiba insisted. "I remember everything. We're not going home tonight. We're-" Kaiba shook his head, started for the door. He was likely going to feel miserable tomorrow and absently chided himself over not having eaten more before a night of extended drinking.

"Can I be right for once?" asked Jonouchi.

He started laughing loudly when they left the bar, entering the chilly night with it echoing in the sharp air. It was so crisp outside, it nearly took Kaiba's breath away. They both emitted little puffs of ice each time they exhaled, and Jonouchi seemed most impressed by it, blowing into his hands like a kid, his eyes all wide as he smiled to himself.

"It smells like snow again," Kaiba remarked, breathing in deeply. It had snowed earlier in the morning, but not enough to stick, melting by the time they'd left the house. "If this keeps up, maybe you'll even have a White Christmas."

"I didn't think it'd really make a difference. I'll be hiding inside anyways."

Kaiba smirked, "I would have thought you'd appreciate that sort of thing. Are you _that _averse to the cold?"

"When it begins to freeze my face off, yes!"

The sky was dark, and even with the street lights on and giant TV screens glowing on the buildings that surrounded the downtown area, the sense of lateness fell on them heavily. Jonouchi was walking quite quickly, and for once, Kaiba found himself working to keep up with him.

Didn't help that he was drunk, too. He tripped over his feet several times against the grating on the sidewalk as he cursed himself for being so clumsy.

"Have you ever stayed at a love hotel?" asked Jonouchi quite out of nowhere.

"What? No," Kaiba blinked, a bit taken aback by the question.

"You want to?" grinned Jonouchi. "Could be fun."

Overtaking Jonouchi, Kaiba continued down the hill, focused on getting one foot in front of the other. "Absolutely not."

"Oh why not?"

Jonouchi stopped in his tracks, looking down an alley. Kaiba kept walking on without him, but at some point he noticed the stillness, and turning around, he was surprised to find Jonouchi not by his side.

"Jonouchi, I own my own hotel. Why would I waste money at some filthy rat hole and pay by the hour when I can stay in a clean room for as long as I like?" Besides, Gozaburo had frequented the establishments. His suits would reek of cheap antiseptic and air freshener after.

"They're not all rat holes, you know," said Jonouchi as he rolled his eyes and sighed. "You can be such a damn snob, but whatever. Have it your way then."

And picking up the pace, it was clear that Jonouchi was annoyed as he stalked off towards uptown.

"Oh? So do _you_ have some experience with them then, since you seem _so _knowledgeable," Kaiba snickered, catching up with Jonouchi. He knew he was being uptight, but whatever. He was drunk, but not drunk enough to want to get caught stumbling out of some run-down hookup spot the next morning.

"Yes."

"What." Kaiba stopped dead, unbelieving.

"I didn't fuck anyone," laughed Jonouchi as he shook his head and grabbed the bridge of his nose, "Love hotels are cheaper than normal hotels. I'd rent a room when I didn't want to go home. How could I not? I mean come on, the rooms are bigger than my old place, my old man can't just barge in, and the porn is included."

He grinned before continuing on up the sidewalk.

Kaiba rolled his eyes, resuming his pace next to Jonouchi. "How adventurous," he said flatly. But really, even being vaguely aware of Jonouchi's sexual history, he was unreasonably relieved that Jonouchi hadn't had any trysts at one.

"No one asked for your approval."

Ignoring the comment, Kaiba focused all of his energy on clearing the base of the hill without falling on his face. The many streetlights and shop signs glowed brightly, lighting up the main drag almost violently compared to the shadowed side street they had just left, and Kaiba had to pause momentarily, almost swaying, before his eyes adjusted.

Walking on level ground was exponentially easier. Kaiba felt inwardly thankful that he naturally earned a wide berth from other passerby wherever he walked - weaving through tightly-clustered crowds just was not an option given his current condition. He looked to his side, at Jonouchi who seemed entirely steady on his feet, and at once felt bewildered and slightly jealous. They had consumed just about the same amount of beer - why didn't Jonouchi seem as outwardly intoxicated as Kaiba felt? Normally, drunk Jonouchi was a loud, stumbling mess.

Multicolored reflections cast across Jonouchi's pale face, a moving canvas as they ventured back to Kaiba Hotel. Jonouchi had lost a bit of his tan with the change of the seasons, but he still was darker than most Japanese, and Kaiba had to wonder if Jonouchi's father took the credit for that. Kaiba was half himself, but he had always been just a couple shades darker than porcelain. The moon hung overhead, a few days short of complete fullness, its soft white light illuminating Jonouchi's fair hair to the point it almost looked ethereal. His sharp features, combined with the colors and the lights, nearly transformed Jonouchi into some kind of mythical creature, daring the mortal world to spirit Kaiba away.

"What are you staring at?" laughed Jonouchi as he stopped in his tracks, arms folded as he directed all his attention back at Kaiba before shaking his head, "Jeez, you are drunk."

"Yes," Kaiba admitted, disrupting his stride long enough to hook an arm under Jonouchi's, "so let's get to the hotel already before you have to carry me there." If he was going to be spirited away, at least he would go willingly.

"Yeah, let's. I'm a bit drunk myself," reasoned Jonouchi, "and I'll fall if I have to carry your dead weight back home."

Jonouchi led the way, and Kaiba noticed that he didn't try breaking his grip as they walked through the crowds. Either he finally didn't care, or he was too drunk to care. Regardless of which answer it was, Kaiba was pleased. He tried to hide it from his face, but it was probably evident from the slight soreness around the corners of his mouth that he was smiling way too hard about it.

There was hardly anyone in the main hotel lobby, but Kaiba finally let go once they stepped into the building. He knew better than to make his staff start talking, and they all snapped their heads and bowed when he crossed the room, sending off their pleasant greetings as Kaiba stumbled across the room, trying not to trip on the rug, before nearly falling into the elevator.

"You're so graceful," snickered Jonouchi as he punched the floor number, "I wish your brother could see you now. No one would believe me if I told them..."

"Good. They don't need to know…" Kaiba replied as he slumped against the wall of the elevator. The metal was a cool relief against his burning cheek.

"Not even your dear brother?" Jonouchi just grinned as he rolled his eyes, "He won't break if he gets to hear about you being an actual person every once in a while."

"Especially not my brother," Kaiba sighed, turning to face Jonouchi. "He'd just use this as ammo for the next time he wanted something I disapproved…" He wrinkled his nose at the thought; he loved his brother beyond words, but there was no denying Mokuba could be an insufferable brat when he felt like it.

The doors opened. Jonouchi stepped out first.

"I swear, Kaiba, sometimes you can be no fun at all," he laughed, "I need someone to talk to about your crazy antics. Come on, I don't want you falling in there and passing out on the floor."

Latching onto Jonouchi's elbow, Kaiba allowed himself to be guided down the hallway as he tossed his wallet to Jonouchi to rummage for the key card. "I'm still learning. Remember? 'Sensei.'" He broke into choked laughter, almost breathless as Jonouchi shuffled them into the suite and turned on the lights.

Jonouchi rolled his eyes again, helping Kaiba out of his coat before taking off his own. He took off his shoes too, putting them in place before going into the closet to hang their things. Kaiba stood watching, silent, a grin fighting against his face once more. It was starting to hurt, but he couldn't help it.

"I'm tired, so you must be, too," said Jonouchi as he spoke out loud and looked at no one in particular, "I'm about ready to pass out."

He led Kaiba to the master bedroom, crossing through the foyer and up the small spiraling flight of stairs until they reached the hallway and Jonouchi opened the door. It was pitch dark before Kaiba stepped inside, and he fumbled trying to turn on the lights before Jonouchi suddenly pulled back the curtains on the windows.

"Kaiba, look!"

He ushered him over, his face lit up once more.

"It's actually snowing!"

"I thought you weren't all that excited over it," Kaiba mumbled, watching Jonouchi more than the falling snow.

"Well, I'm inside now, so it doesn't matter. And it looks so pretty. Come look!"

Kaiba stood there, watching the slowly drifting flakes sail against the dark backdrop of the sky. Far below them, Domino City twinkled like a tight cluster of stars. They seemed so far removed from the rest of the world in this singular room, and Kaiba had to close his eyes before he started to feel too faint.

Grabbing Jonouchi's hand in his own, he lightly tugged Jonouchi back to the bed. "We can leave the curtains open. Let's go to bed."

Jonouchi nodded his head, following behind before sitting on the edge of the bed. He undressed quickly, tossing everything into his designated hamper before skipping off into the bathroom to brush his teeth. Instead of stealing one of Kaiba's, he made a point to take one of the disposable ones, smirking as he tore off the plastic wrapper before putting toothpaste on and putting it into his mouth.

It was strange. Jonouchi's eyes were burning, almost, and the corners of his mouth turned into a kind of sly grin as the toothbrush entered, his lips closing slowly before he started jerking the thing back and forth inside his mouth.

Suddenly, Kaiba felt a trickle of blood flowing down his right nostril.

"Shit," Kaiba hissed, a hand flying to cover the bottom half of his face. He leaned over and stole a handful of tissues, holding them against his nose and pinching.

"Kaiba, are you okay?" asked Jonouchi in a more serious tone, his smile fading into a concerned gaze. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's this weather," Kaiba answered around the wad of tissues, his voice slightly distorted. Just fucking wonderful. He sighed mentally before gradually easing back the tissues, testing whether the blood had stopped.

"You get nosebleeds?" asked Jonouchi incredulously. "So you are a real human being!"

He broke out laughing as he continued brushing his teeth.

"Very funny," Kaiba grouched, tossing the tissues into the trash and grabbing for his own toothbrush. A sudden wave of lightheadedness hit him - shit, the nosebleed combined the the copious amount of alcohol really might make him pass out.

Finishing quickly, Kaiba unceremoniously stripped out of his clothes. He almost fell over twice, and several articles hung off or completely missed the hamper.

"Having trouble?"

Jonouchi grinned as he turned off the bedroom lights and got under the covers. "I don't think Kirin agrees with you so much."

"No. I'm fine," Kaiba said pointedly, an almost petulant edge to his tone. He was finally successful in removing all of his clothes (if not so successful in properly putting them away, but whatever) and crawled under the sheets until he was close to the center of the bed. Scooting up on his side next to Jonouchi, Kaiba stared at him through the darkness, his features hard to make out against the city light seeping in.

"Hi," spoke Jonouchi, his smile easy as he pressed the tip of his index finger against Kaiba's nose. "Time to go to sleep now."

Kaiba scrunched up his face at the contact. "I'm still awake."

"Close your eyes then," suggested Jonouchi, "and count how many cards you own. That should help."

He snorted, but he didn't do as told. Instead, Kaiba continued to study Jonouchi, his eyes straining to make out his face. He looked relaxed and content, and Kaiba felt a warmth spread through him that he knew he couldn't attribute to the alcohol.

"Did you want to?" he finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Huh?" Jonouchi blinked before dropping his chin into the palm of his hand. "What are you talking about?"

Kaiba leaned over and gently pressed his lips to Jonouchi's. They were warm and soft, and Kaiba felt a little self-conscious over how chaste it seemed. He pulled back, and Jonouchi was staring at him curiously, but then he shut his eyes as Kaiba tilted in for another kiss, pulling Kaiba closer to him. This time it was Jonouchi who deepened the kiss, encouraging Kaiba to open his mouth with his tongue. He slid his arms around Kaiba's neck, tiny sighs escaping him as the tide of control ebbed and flowed from Kaiba to him and back again.

Drifting an arm down Jonouchi's side, Kaiba trailed down the smoothness of Jonouchi's ass, cupping him at the small of his back and sliding a knee between his legs. He felt hands in his hair, and all of the shifting unbalanced them. Kaiba could feel the mattress suddenly against his back, Jonouchi more or less sprawled across him, but after a short burst of laughter, Jonouchi was upon him again, hands holding Kaiba's wrists at his sides.

Kaiba finally opened up himself. Jonouchi had noticed. He pulled back, breathless and panting, staring down at Kaiba half-lidded and glassy.

Kaiba looked up at him, one hand reaching up to caress Jonouchi's cheek. Jonouchi sighed and leaned into the touch, closing his eyes contentedly.

"Did you want to?" Kaiba echoed his question from before.

Jonouchi's eyes slowly opened, the hazel a bright contrast against the room's darkness. "That's the second time you asked me," he smiled lazily, "Be more specific."

"Fuck me," Kaiba breathed. An offering. A small, amused smile of his own found its way upon his face. "I would let you," he murmured, fingers extending out to thread through Jonouchi's hair, dragging through his scalp.

"But do you want me to?" asked Jonouchi with a tinge of nervousness, "you've never seemed interested in that before."

"I'm invested in this particular outcome," Kaiba was slurring his words as he tried pulling Jonouchi closer. "I want to try this."

The words just came out; Kaiba wasn't thinking straight when he grabbed Jonouchi's shoulders and aggressively pulled him into a kiss. It was sloppy. They were both so drunk. It tingled each time their lips met, and Kaiba could taste that bitter sting of alcohol, but he was too far gone to care. He didn't have much coordination, either, when he tried to get Jonouchi's boxers off. His actions seemed hesitant at first, but eventually Jonouchi stopped seeming so resistant and continued on like before.

It was rather clear from the beginning that they weren't sure how to go about doing it. Time seemed hazy; Kaiba's mind was foggy when he finally felt Jonouchi pull away before he returned again.

His face felt warm and his breath hitched. Eyes closed, he could feel lips on his face, hands massaging his scalp as another stroked his inner thigh. Body twisted in the sheets awkwardly, Kaiba tried concentrating enough to relax. Maybe it was thanks to the alcohol, but it didn't take as long to let go and eventually Kaiba found himself just laying there, allowing Jonouchi to do it for him.

The room was dark. Reactions dulled and senses slow, Kaiba fumbled around trying to find a condom, but he knocked the box over just as Jonouchi finished getting it on.

"Are you sure you're fine with this," he asked again, bumping Kaiba's face with his nose once, "I wouldn't want to take advantage of your inebriated state, you know."

"I'm fine," lied Kaiba as he fixed himself straight on the mattress, "this was my idea."

Jonouchi shook his head, but he didn't argue with it. Whenever Kaiba had made up his mind about something, nothing could change it, and sighing as their bodies pressed together, he sucked in a breath before finally releasing, feeling that inescapable pressure building as his stomach erupted into butterflies.

There was sweat dripping off his brow. Kaiba didn't have much time to think about it; Jonouchi was still, kissing him all over his face. It took some effort to kiss back, and Kaiba could feel their bodies damp with perspiration as they began to mold together, Jonouchi's breath shaky as he felt him.

It was comfortable. Kaiba found himself relaxing into it. The feeling was pleasurable. More than he thought it could ever be.

And then it ended rather abruptly. Jonouchi collapsed as Kaiba, in shock, almost opened his mouth to speak, getting up on his elbows to move, but before he could, Jonouchi kissed him deeply, forcing him back down onto the bed. Kaiba closed his eyes, sucking in a breath as Jonouchi pulled away from him, biting along his neck and chest before trailing down his abdomen. Still in a daze, Kaiba tried blinking to see what he was doing, but he couldn't keep his eyes open, and he felt the blankets pull away, his body chilly, before his legs were spread open and he felt sudden warmth come over him before moaning out loudly.

When he opened his eyes to look down, he could see Jonouchi's hazel ones flashing back up to meet him, and shuddering, Kaiba collapsed back down onto the bed, his legs shaking uncomfortably.

His excitement came back full force and it took a lot out of Kaiba not to move too much. He tried closing his eyes, focusing on his breathing and letting out quick puffs of breath. Kaiba didn't dare watch. Everything happened quickly, intensely. Before he could stop himself, he felt his breath catch just before grabbing onto Jonouchi's hair and letting out a loud cry, his entire body collapsing on the bed. All the tension poured out of him, and boneless, Kaiba laid still, not even watching when Jonouchi got up from the bed and disappeared into the bathroom.

He was just barely awake enough to be giddy. It took a lot out of him to roll onto his side, pressing the sheets over his shoulders, and he felt Jonouchi next to him when he returned to the bed. Kaiba lacked the coherency to do much besides close his eyes, and feeling arms around his waist, he quickly fell asleep.


	29. Chapter 29

Waking up to the sounds of rumbling snores echoing in the bedroom, Jonouchi slowly opened his eyes, sight blurry and nose slightly stuffed up. He could feel a cold coming on as he got up to use the restroom before returning, pulling out his boxers and casually placing them on the bed where they'd be in reach before getting back under the sheets.

Kaiba was knocked out. When Jonouchi scooted closer to him, he placed a hand on his chest, feeling each time it rose and fell with the breaths he took in his sleep. His eyelids remained closed, black lashes fanning out across his face, and now that there was light in the room, Jonouchi could make out little brown moles along his back and shoulders.

He was too awake to sleep. Shifting over closer, Jonouchi instead laid his head down on the pillow, playing with Kaiba's back in a game of "connect the dots" as he waited patiently for the man to eventually wake up.

That would probably be a while. They had both been drunk as skunks the night before, Kaiba more so than Jonouchi. Kaiba had been falling all over the hotel once they arrived back, and after insisting upon sex, Jonouchi knew from his own experience, Kaiba wouldn't want to get up and get going anytime soon.

Jonouchi was slightly glad he was still asleep. He felt embarrassed about the night before, mainly in his lack of endurance. Last time he'd tried being with a woman, a very similar thing had happened. He couldn't edge well, and despite trying to hold out, Jonouchi always found himself being premature, or sometimes not becoming aroused enough at all.

Thankfully, had at least been able to try. Kaiba didn't seem likely to leave him alone until he had, and after fucking up, Jonouchi scrambled to find a way to make it work out. He couldn't expect Kaiba to have him, unfortunately; he was down for the count by then. It was clear by the look of surprise and slight disappointment on his face that he thought that was that and had planned to pass out right after, but Jonouchi had made love to him another way. He felt too bad to get shy about it, being far more enthusiastic about it than he ever thought he could be, and it didn't bother him nearly as much as Jonouchi thought it should when it came to a startling end.

If anything, he felt washed over with a sense of relief. Jonouchi had to stop himself from thinking of gagging, and he ran off into the bathroom soon after to clean himself up.

By the time he'd gotten back, Kaiba seemed asleep. It dawned on Jonouchi that Kaiba might not even remember the majority of the night. That was probably a good thing. Jonouchi really didn't want to recall being such a horrible top ever again, if he could help it.

Now that he was awake and coherent enough to think properly, he could reason that the night before was probably going to be a one-time affair. Not because of Kaiba's tolerance of it, but more because Jonouchi couldn't see himself trying that again. It had felt good, physically, being able to penetrate, but it hadn't felt natural. Kaiba had always seemed so calm and collected whenever they were together, and while Jonouchi knew it had to do with his experience, he also knew it just came easier to Kaiba, being like that. He didn't second guess his actions and he had great control over his body. Besides the first time they'd had sex together, which had been sloppy and rushed thanks to high emotions and alcohol, Kaiba had been a consistently mindful and skillful lover. At least in Jonouchi's eyes, he didn't seem strained in the moment trying to control himself and Jonouchi always felt lost in the moment, his arousal peaking long before Kaiba was about to give out.

It seemed odd that Kaiba would be so adamant about changing roles up, but maybe his intense curiosity had gotten to him. Kaiba was not and had never been uptight. Not like Jonouchi had, and even though he said before he wasn't particularly interested in bottoming and didn't find it arousing, he'd at least given Jonouchi the opportunity willingly.

The gesture meant a lot to him. Kaiba had trusted him, and while Jonouchi knew he probably wasn't a great lay, he certainly hoped that any awkwardness that might erupt between them would dissipate quickly as the day continued on.

Turning around, Jonouchi grabbed the phone from the bedside table, calling in an order for breakfast before his stomach would rumble and wake up the sleeping beauty next to him. He was hungry. They both hadn't eaten enough to warrant all the beer they'd finished the night before, and he didn't want Kaiba getting to work feeling both sick _and_ sore on top of that.

It didn't register immediately when Kaiba had woken up. The bed shifted, but Jonouchi was too distracted to really notice much until he felt hands in his hair, and turning around just enough to make out the outline of Kaiba's face, he smiled a little before swatting his hands away.

"You're awake," Jonouchi said more to himself than Kaiba despite the grunt as a reply, "I thought you'd be down for the count until much later."

"I still have work," mumbled Kaiba as he tried to fix his hair, "although I think I'm going to call in today. I don't feel up to showing my face while I'm still visibly hung over."

"Your eyes are a little red, but that's really it," said Jonouchi with a small laugh, "I don't think they'll really notice that much unless you decide to puke on your desk or something."

"I don't get sick."

"Well then," continued Jonouchi, "they shouldn't be able to tell, should they?"

Kaiba shook his head, but he made no attempt to get out of bed, just flipping over to the other side like he was going to fall back asleep instead. Furrowing his eyebrows, Jonouchi watched him for a moment, neither of them speaking, before crawling over to where Kaiba laid, resting his head on his shoulder.

"Hey," he breathed, moving close to Kaiba's ear before grabbing it playfully with his teeth to tug on his ear lobe, "I hope I wasn't too much of a disappointment last night."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," chuckled Kaiba in response, eyes remaining closed, "I wasn't expecting it to be mind blowing, Jonouchi. I just wanted to give you a chance, since you were under the impression before that I would never allow you to do it."

"I thought you weren't interested in bottoming."

"I'm not," laughed Kaiba, "but I can tolerate it if you need a change of pace."

Was it really all that much an issue? Jonouchi didn't really think so any more. The more he thought of it, the more he reasoned that he had originally desired the change because of his own feelings of inferiority. It had nothing to do with any kind of natural desire to lead. Jonouchi had never been any good with it. Last night made that evident more than ever, and he hoped not to embarrass himself like that ever again.

"I don't need the change of pace," Jonouchi answered quietly, avoiding eye contact for a moment before laying his head back down and sighing, "I actually like how we do things. Honestly, I prefer it with you leading me. It always felt more comfortable that way, and although I appreciate your consideration, I don't think that'll be necessary to do again.

"I just won't let you drink so much next time we plan on fucking," laughed Jonouchi as he leaned over Kaiba's chest to place his hands between his shoulders. Kaiba's gaze was piercing. His eyes were always so striking, and maybe it was because of the sharp color, but Jonouchi always felt like he was being looked through. But maybe, just this once, that wasn't a bad thing.

"I'm sorry about being stupid about the whole thing before," he admitted, "I let too much of my own personal shit get in the way of something I enjoyed doing with you.

"So," he added a tad awkwardly, "are you really not planning on going to work today?"

"No, I'm not," replied Kaiba as he raised an eyebrow. "Are you not planning on going to work today yourself? You might want to call Eguchi to let her know."

"Eh, I'd rather not and let her worry," .

Shifting up from the bed, Jonouchi pulled back the sheets as he straddled Kaiba's hips, holding him with his thighs. They were still both naked, and Jonouchi tried to ignore the fact that neither of them had bathed since the night before as he leaned down into Kaiba's chest, letting his arms wrap around his neck before tugging at his hair.

"I want to try this again," mumbled Jonouchi into Kaiba's ear, "but I think you'll like it better this time. Promise."

"You promise?" Kaiba laughed as Jonouchi felt warm hands on his hips, the long fingers sliding up and down the sides of his ribcage, tickling, "What exactly are you planning on doing?"

"Nothing you won't like. Just lie down and relax."

Kaiba melted in his hands. Jonouchi enjoyed the feeling. All inside, his stomach tightened, the feeling of build up coming from within.

Grabbing onto Kaiba's neck, Jonouchi reached forward to kiss him, tugging on his lower lip with his teeth before sighing as he felt his ass being kneaded into. Blood pumping and vision blurring in the corners, Jonouchi could feel his excitement rise as his body burned up, and his heart began pumping fast as Kaiba pulled him closer, taking a firm grip of Jonouchi's hip to keep him steady while another hand started trailing down his back.

Little beads of sweat grew on Jonouchi's brow, dripping down his shoulders and pooling to the small of his back, his entire body on fire.

"Hopefully this won't take too long," Jonouchi muttered as he reached forward to grab the essential items, "I actually ordered breakfast for you. I don't want the delivery people to hear us."

"They won't say anything," chuckled Kaiba, but that didn't really appease Jonouchi's reservations. He was quick to prepare himself.

Kaiba stroke his inner thigh as Jonouchi brace himself against the bed near Kaiba's head.

He felt completely raw. Every ounce of his body was burning. Sweat rolled off Jonouchi's skin, and he bit his lip as he relaxed. Anticipation was both a gift and a curse; Jonouchi found himself stuck between loving and hating each motion he made, until it felt right and nothing seemed to matter anymore.

It was a little tiring. His breaths were hot, hair damp against his brow as he allowed Kaiba's hand on his waist. They were both eager. Both quick. It was more of a workout than Jonouchi had first imagined. It sent his back shuddering and moans escaping his lips while Kaiba tried kissing him. The contact was sloppy, and Kaiba was leading it more so than Jonouchi, tugging at his lips and grasping onto his hair, saying dirty words into Jonouchi's ear that made him blush uncontrollably.

Jonouchi was quick. Kaiba continued, pulling Jonouchi's legs over his shoulders before turning deliberate. Erratic. Jonouchi melted into the sheets.

Then suddenly, he shuddered at the strange feeling he'd slowly became accustomed to. It was still a surprise, and he chided himself for not using a condom but that had been his own fault. He didn't say anything, just trying to catch his breath as Kaiba sighed a few times, his wet lips on Jonouchi's face before he finally pulled away and collapsed on the bed.

They didn't speak to each other for a few minutes. Kaiba just rolled over and stroked Jonouchi's hair, Jonouchi too tired to do much than allow it. He didn't mind the closeness, and eyes open, he watched as Kaiba looked back at him, his gaze intense yet warm, before finally getting up.

"I really need to take a shower," said Jonouchi rather abruptly. "It's trickling down my legs."

"You can't blame me this time," replied Kaiba with a snort.

"I'm not," whined Jonouchi, "but I will blame you if you don't hurry up into the shower and join me."

Breakfast long ago eaten, they were finishing up getting dressed when Kaiba heard a loud buzzing from across the room. Jonouchi's phone was vibrating across a small side table (where he usually dumped his junk, much to Kaiba's chagrin). "Hey, your phone's going off," Kaiba called towards the closet, where Jonouchi was still rubbing a towel against his head.

Popping his head out, Jonouchi yelled back, "Who is it?"

"Kame Shop."

"Shit," Jonouchi replied, hobbling out of the closet while trying to pull up his jeans. "What could that old man possibly want now - I hope it's not because I still haven't picked up my crap…" Finally securing his jeans over his hips and quickly tugging a T-shirt on, Jonouchi snatched his phone off the table, scowling at it before accepting the call. Kaiba rolled his eyes, focusing on fixing the scarf draped around his neck.

"Yeah, what's up, Jii-san? Listen, I- Say what?"

Jonouchi had gone completely still, drawing Kaiba's attention. He watched curiously as Jonouchi's eyes visibly widened, his initial irritation melting away until he was practically beaming.

"No way, you aren't kidding me, right? We'll be over right away!" Ending the call, Jonouchi tossed the phone into the air, catching it with his other hand and flashing Kaiba a huge smile.

"I take it it wasn't about a pick-up…" Kaiba said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yugi's coming home soon, and I want to meet him at the game shop once he gets here," Jonouchi practically exploded. "You gotta come with me. He'd like that."

The other eyebrow lifted to join the first. "You sure of that? He and I aren't exactly best friends or anything of the sort." Although, Kaiba had to admit to himself, seeing Yugi again could be interesting. Although he'd been off the Duel Monsters circuit for close to a year, and he wasn't exactly the rival Kaiba had chosen from years before, Yugi had been the only one to defeat the lost pharaoh.

"Yes, I'm sure," answered Jonouchi with a tad of irritation as he finished dressing, trying to get socks on his feet as he hopped around the bed, "he always liked you even if you were difficult about it. Come with me. I'll even make sure that Jii-san leaves you alone."

"I'm going to hold you to that." Wouldn't be his problem if he dampened the mood because the old man decided to try to throw his weight around.

"You gotta be civil, though."

Jonouchi ran out the door before Kaiba could respond. He seemed quick to get to the door, and when Kaiba followed him, he was scrambling to get his shoes on. For someone who just tired himself out only a few hours ago, Jonouchi was as animated as ever.

"Unless you plan on welcoming Yugi with a concussion, settle down," Kaiba snickered, spinning his keyring on a finger. He easily slid into his boots, sneaking around a still-fumbling Jonouchi to head to the parking garage. Jonouchi ambled in moments later, throwing himself bodily into the passenger seat while Kaiba revved the engine.

He was quieter during the ride through town. His eyes were glued to the passenger side window, watching people on the street and folding his hands onto his lap as he fidgeted a little. Kaiba watched from the corner of his eyes, noting each time Jonouchi's legs shaked, counting the little movements in his head until it became irritating and he dropped a hand on Jonouchi's thigh to still him.

"Why are you so fidgety? You were almost completely out of energy just hours ago."

"I don't know, I'm just really excited," mumbled Jonouchi as he turned and stole a look at Kaiba's face before turning back towards the window again. "I can't help it. I'm not tired anymore."

"I was...surprised...at how forward you were this morning," Kaiba said smoothly, flickering his gaze over to Jonouchi briefly before returning it to the road. "You've never really been like that - at the beginning, I thought I might've still been dreaming." Jonouchi's leg stilled, and Kaiba withdrew his hand to return it to the wheel.

"Well, I, uh," started Jonouchi, his words fumbling into each other, "I don't know. I felt bad about the night before. Kinda knew it wasn't the best of ideas, but you were so adamant about it, so I couldn't tell you no. I didn't want you thinking that I sucked at _everything_," joked Jonouchi, "and besides, you liked it, right? It was a good change?"

"It was," Kaiba agreed, tapping a finger against the steering wheel as they waited at a red light. "I like it when you show you're just as into it as I am. I found it very sexy," he purred, laughing when he earned a swat on the arm. Jonouchi's face was bright red, and he refused to budge his gaze from the side window.

"Yeah, I could tell," replied Jonouchi as he glued his eyes away towards the glass, his legs bouncing again repeatedly, "you wouldn't shut up about it."

The light flipped to green. "New experience," Kaiba smirked, "Wasn't sure when I'd get that kind of a show again."

Jonouchi made a noise like he was snorting, making a show of rolling his eyes before crossing his leg. "I think I've done enough new things for your benefit in one week," he answered, "I gotta make you work for it, after all."

"I have to ask," Kaiba began, his voice losing its teasing edge and taking on a more serious tone, "why are you okay with it all now? Or you seem to be, with how last night and this morning played out…"

Jonouchi was silent for a minute, his eyes glancing towards Kaiba for a second before turning back towards the street again. They appeared a little anxious, but Jonouchi eventually seemed to get a grip on himself and spoke up.

"My father wasn't a very open minded guy," explained Jonouchi, "and he had a very limited view on what was okay and not okay for guys to do. When I lived with him, he used to make all sorts of comments... I didn't think I cared too much about it at the time, but I let his way of thinking get into my head and it took a while to just not care anymore. I guess I needed to really get away from him to let it go for good. I mean, it was still all sorts of embarrassing, at least for me at first, but I wanted you to be happy, so I got over it."

_I wanted you to be happy_. Kaiba felt a sudden, painful clenching in his chest, his hands reflexively digging into the leather of the steering wheel. His voice was caught in his throat, and all he could manage was a quiet, "I see," as he turned the corner toward Yugi's neighborhood.

Slowing the car to the new speed limit, Kaiba delicately reached over and brushed his fingertips over Jonouchi's knee, squeezing lightly before retracting again. "I'm glad you did."

"Of course you did," Jonouchi joked before turning his full attention towards Kaiba finally. "You got laid twice almost in one day. Who wouldn't be glad about that? I mean, I know I'm not a good top, but I tried to make it end well at least."

"Your technique could use some finesse," Kaiba smirked, "but it got the desired outcome. Although I am a bit relieved that you're fine with how we are. I'm not wholly against doing that with you again, but it's not my - preferred - method, shall we say."

"Kaiba, you can be honest and say I suck," laughed Jonouchi, "I knew that long before last night. You aren't the first attempt, but I'm pretty sure you'll be the last. I don't really like doing what you do, so let's agree to keep things the way they were before and maybe if you're good, I'll work on that finesse crap...

"In my defense, that was my first time and I was very drunk."

"I'm always good," Kaiba replied mildly. "We'll just have to find an opportunity for you to prove yourself sober, then."

Jonouchi rolled his eyes.

The familiar curves and angles of the Kame Game Shop became visible as Kaiba drove up the hill. Jonouchi burst out of the car before it completely rolled to a stop in the side alley, racing around to the entrance before Kaiba had had a chance to disengage his seatbelt. Strolling to join Jonouchi at the front, he found the other man peering into the dark store, hands and face pressed against the front door's glass.

"Closed," Kaiba announced, pointing to the handwritten sign in the window.

"Huh, that's odd." Jonouchi knocked on the door loudly, peering through the glass again before poking into his pant pockets. "I got the key here, anyways. I'm sure they're at the airport now, on their way. Wanna duel while we wait? I got my deck upstairs."

Kaiba turned sharply toward Jonouchi, staring down at his inquisitive face. Suddenly it was summer again, heat radiating down Kaiba's back, an orange sky painting the color of his defeat. And then Jonouchi nudged him on the elbow with a look of concern, and Kaiba was thrust back into the present, the stinging, cold air biting against the back of his neck.

"Sure, why not," he replied as he stepped through the door, a smile crossing his face.

FIN

* * *

Author's Notes:

This story is full of controversy! Fortunately, I don't like this story enough to really care about dealing with it any longer, so I apologize for all the madness. I got so many other bigger, better projects to worry about that frankly, this is really a small thing. I sincerely hope this whole drama fest is done and over with.

In the future, I will revise this again. A part of me is sad that I didn't finish this with the person who helped me begin it.

I hope you guys enjoyed the story. As always, I write for myself first and foremost, but I post it for you all. Without my readers, I would have never gotten this far. You guys are my strength and perseverance every time I want to just toss a story away or put it on the back burner. You guys are the reason why my creative light can never burn out.

Thank you and I hope you all stand by for the many other projects I have lined up.

Again, this is the toned down version of Just Friends. The uncut version is available on AFF, linked on my profile page.

~AW


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